Photos and Story by Rick Hiduk
Approximately 15 people attended Wyoming County Candidates Night at the courthouse (top) in Tunkhannock on Thursday evening. Wyoming County director of elections Florence Ball (above) directed the presentation.
Seats for numerous municipal positions are up for election across the Endless Mountains this year, and potential candidates are readying for the spring primary. The Wyoming County Election Board sponsored a first-time event for potential candidates on Feb. 2 at which director of elections Florence Ball distributed petitions and provided an overview of rules pertaining to collecting signatures, forming committees, and recording finances and contributions.
Petitions can be circulated from February 14 to March 7 but must be notarized and filed by March 7. The Municipal Primary election will be held on Tuesday, May 16.
At the county level, the district attorney, treasurer, and coroner seats are up for election. At the township and borough level, there are a number of supervisor and council seats up for grabs, as well as auditors, tax collectors, constables, judges of elections, inspectors of elections and school board members. For county positions, 100 signatures are needed to get on the ballot, while only ten are required for township and borough seats. Fees vary from $100 for county-wide positions to no cost for school board and general municipality seats.
In most cases, a candidate may represent only one party to run in the primary for a spot on the Municipal Election ballot. The exceptions are school board seats and magisterial judges, both of whom may cross file. Nonetheless, the signatures on the petitions must be kept separate along party lines.
The majority of the rules and regulations Ball shared with those in attendance are determined by the State Ethics Commission and include the composition of political committees and how and when to record campaign contributions. For example, the names and addresses of anyone contributing $10 or more must be recorded, and donations over $100 cannot be cash.
Not governed by the Commonwealth is the placement of campaign signs, the rules of which vary from one municipality to another.
Persons intending to run as a third party candidate have a different path to follow as there is no place for them on the primary ballot. Someone running as a Green Party candidate or Independent, for example, may start circulation of “nomination papers” on March 8 and collect signatures until August 1. The amount of signatures needed is five percent of the highest vote total received by any one candidate in the respective municipality in the previous municipal election. That magic number is 228 signatures for a third party candidate seeking a county position, based on the 4,560 votes received by the prothonotary in the last election.
If one runs in the Primary as a Republican or Democrat and loses, he or she may not run as an Independent or member of any other third party in the General Election in the fall.
Ball related afterward that she was hoping that more people would attend Candidates Night but noted that her entire PowerPoint presentation is posted under “Additional Resources” at the county website.
Blank petitions, street directories and other forms are available in the respective elections offices in each county courthouse. Many, including financial forms, are also available for download online at each county’s respective website.
The May 16 Primary election will determine which Democrats and Republicans will be on the ballot for the General election on Tuesday, Nov. 17. Winners of that election are sworn in and begin service in January 2018.
Information for Voters:
Last day to register to vote in the Primary Election – April 17
Last day to apply for a civilian absentee ballot – May 9
Last day for receipt of voted absentee ballots – May 12
Municipal Primary – May 16
Last day for receipt of military and overseas absentee ballots (postmarked no later than 11:59 pm on May 15) – May 23
Last day to register to vote in the General election – October 10
Last day to apply for a civilian absentee ballot – October 31
Last day for receipt of voted absentee ballots – November 3
General Municipal Election – November 7
Last day for receipt of voted military and overseas absentee ballots (postmarked no later than 11:59 pm on November 6) – November 14
County by county election info links:
Bradford http://www.bradfordcountypa.org/index.php/administration/election-bureauvoter-registration
Sullivan http://www.sullivancounty-pa.us/offices/election-bureau/
Susquehanna http://susqco.com/county-government/voter-registration/
Wyoming http://www.wycopa.org/Offices/ElectVoter/Pages/default.aspx
For information that cannot be found online, contact the directors of elections:
Bradford County – Renee Smithkors 570-265-1717
Susquehanna County – SarahRae Sisson 570-278-6697
Sullivan County – Francine Doyle 570-946-5201
Wyoming County – Flo Ball 570-996-2226