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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Eugene DePasquale
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DePasquale announces support for Voters' Choice Act
HARRISBURG, July 31 – State Rep. Eugene DePasquale, D-York, today announced his support for the Voters' Choice Act, legislation introduced by state Sen. Mike Folmer, R-Lebanon.
DePasquale said the proposed VCA would remove unfair hurdles that obstruct ballot access for independent and minor party candidates for public office in Pennsylvania.
"Our current law requires non-major party candidates to obtain exceptionally high numbers of petition signatures just to appear on the ballot," DePasquale said. "Senator Folmer's legislation helps balance the scale for independents and minor party members."
DePasquale said that in 2006, Pennsylvania's current formula resulted in minor party and independent candidates having to gather nearly 68,000 petition signatures to run in the general election for governor or U.S. Senate. Major party candidates were required to gather 2,000 signatures during the primary election to run for those same offices.
Folmer's legislation would update the signature requirements for independent and minor party candidates to appear on the general election ballot so that they match the requirements for major party candidates to appear on the primary ballot. Because minor parties do not participate in primary elections, the VCA would require these parties to nominate their general election candidates according to their own rules and at their own expense.
DePasquale said the VCA would also make it easier for a political group to qualify as a minor party. Under the legislation, any political group that claims at least 0.05 percent of the total number of registered voters in Pennsylvania could qualify as a political party.
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