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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2021 - 2022
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | March 28, 2022 04:15 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Christopher M. Rabb |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Modernizing Candidate Nominating Petitions and Increasing Signature Requirements |
| Public officials share a sacred trust with their constituents. According to the United States Census Bureau, any official from a township supervisor to Governor may represent anywhere between 1,300 to 13 million Pennsylvanians. Streamlining the signature collection process will encourage more individuals to run for office, making these positions more competitive and enable more democratic input. As elected representatives, we owe it to our constituents to provide them every opportunity to be heard throughout the election process. To increase the amount of constituent input and heighten the level of scrutiny, I plan on introducing legislation that will update the signature collection process for candidate nominating petitions. My legislation will triple the number of signatures required for every public and political office, as well as require candidates to secure at least five signatures from each political subdivision of a district. This legislation will also increase filing fees to match one percent of the annual salary for the position a candidate is running for. To accommodate and modernize the increased signature requirements, this legislation will also direct the Secretary of the Commonwealth to create an internet portal for qualified electors to access and sign a nomination petition for a candidate in all State, Federal, and political offices. Please join me in bringing our candidate nominating petition process into the 21st century. Your consideration is greatly appreciated. |