It’s clipboard season in Newton, that time of year when incumbents and challengers take to the streets, village days and supermarkets across Newton in search of registered voters so they can appear on the fall municipal election ballot.
Candidates for mayor need 400 signatures. At large city council and school committee candidates need 150 signatures. Ward council candidates need a mere 50 signatures to be on the ballot. I believe the city clerk’s office recommends getting about 10 percent more signatures than required in case some are disqualified or illegible.
Nomination papers aren’t due until Aug. 8.
Now perhaps this doesn’t bother anyone but me, but I’ve always found it mildly annoying when someone stops me with an armful of clipboards and asks if I would sign nomination papers for a several different candidates.
This year I’m going to decline. I’ve decided that if someone really wants to hold public office, they should be able to get collect their own signatures. Collecting signatures shouldn’t just be a formality, it should be a chance for a human interaction with a constituent. And that’s especially important for incumbents who aren’t likely to even face an opponent this year.
So please candidates, collect your own signatures.
Best place to stand and collect signatures is in front of the Newton Library.
We moved to Newton in August, 1972, and soon after went to City Hall to register to vote. A smiling gentleman stood at the top of the steps, near the front door, opened it and welcomed us to the City. We were delighted to chat with (and later vote for) that gentleman, Teddy Mann!
So how did Fuller get 900 signatures in one day?? Obviously she had a lot of “Volunteers” going out to be able to collect all those signatures within a day?
When I see a candidate “assign” the task of collecting signature to another person or people, it definitely registers with me.
However, when I see candidates using the signature collection process as an organizing strategy and they’re out there collecting the signatures as well, I say good for you!
It’s also one of several opportunities for volunteers new to the political process to be involved in a campaign. Collecting signatures for a candidate is a great entry activity for people who want to be involved but are new to the political process. That’s a good thing.
Greg, I totally agree with you.
It’s a huge opportunity for candidates to meet and talk to voters, they lose out if they don’t get their own signatures. Unfortunately, statistically only about 33% end up voting in the mayors race, maybe more this year since it’s an open seat, which means out of the 600 or so signatures (400 plus 50% extra) maybe 200 will actually vote. But, an opportunity is an opportunity.
What drives me even more crazy is when councilors who run unopposed don’t go out and get their own signatures and don’t talk to the everyday person. That drives me up a wall…I won’t sign those papers.
Another thing that drives me nuts is when they all get each others signatures, so if your running at large you have 24 signatures just from your colleagues and you don’t need to talk to the typical voter.
I’ll get off the soap box now.
Tom-I agree that councilors and school committee members should be part of the election process in an active way. When voting, I blank people who choose not to engage with residents during the election season. However, the signature collection is such a minor part of the process that I wouldn’t make a judgement based on that.
Totally agree with you Greg.
When i ran years ago for alderman
I went door to door. The hard way.
It is a time consuming, arduous process, even to get 75 signatures, which I did to cover any that were invalid, incomplete, etc etc.
People are going to give you an earful
when you are at their doorstep seeking their signature. You learn a lot about the city and people in general. The process was worth every minute.
Great learning experience.
Totally agree. Turning this into a mere formality may be legal, but violates the spirit of this requirement. The signature are required to make sure you have some public support behind you. I have not problem with someone else getting the signatures for the candidate, as long as there is some discussion of the candidate’s views and vision. I never miss an election, and this is apparently public information, so many candidates come knocking at my door. I like those interactions very much.
Only Jake (or his surrogate) has ever knocked on my door. Kind of like the lack of children on Halloween Trick or Treating!
Just signed nomination papers for person with whom I disagree on many issues. Do you do that?
Great advice here! As a candidate who is (as yet) not known to many voters, I will be opening doors at City Hall, camping out in front of the library and meeting voters (and non voters) alike in public places all around Newton collecting my own signatures.
600+ is a tough number for one person though, so if I need to enlist help in order to ensure I make the ballot, I hope that is ok with most of you.
I’m only required to get 25 signatures to get on the ballot as an area councilor, but I always turn in well over 100 because I like to use the occasion to talk with Highlands residents about what’s on their mind. The only one who refused to sign was a woman who felt I was too old to run for anything.
Sallee – I sign everyone’s papers. The more the merrier.
Newtoner – I totally agree.
@Bob Burke. Well, that was an unnecessary comment on the lady’s part. But you may have gotten off easy. I knew a candidate who lost out on a signature because the person felt they were “too large.” Nice.
Like Jane, I sign all papers, as I feel everyone who wants to (and is eligible) should run- not the same as saying I support the candidate of course.
That’s not to say Greg doesn’t have a point, I’m just not going to make the assumption about the person collecting the signatures and what is going into that candidate’s efforts. If the candidate is failing to connect, that will show up in the campaign as well, very likely.
Bob- you should have told the woman you could walk for office if that would make her feel better. It’s an area council, not city-wide, so not nearly as far to go. 😉