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Every Signature Counts

In case you’re wondering how the signature count certification was going for your favorite U.S. Senate candidate, here’s a rundown from the 7th Congressional District.

Marlin  Stutzman – 561

John Hostetler – 556

Don Bates, Jr.  – 502

Richard Behney – 647

Dan Coats – 800

Tamara d’Ippolito – 3

The numbers come straight from Marion County Voter Registration.  Some signatures for Hostetler and Coats are still being certified.   And in case you were wondering, Evan Bayh had 533.

Posted: 02|16|10 at 2:02 pm by Abdul Hakim-Shabazz
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  • http://twitter.com/IndyStudent Matthew Stone

    I'm astounded that Behney managed to get 600+.

    Coats isn't a surprise, but he won't get my support.

    I'm glad Hostettler met the requirements in the 7th. Now here's hoping he pulls through in the other districts.

  • melyssa

    And Tamyra D'Illipolito was too busy chatting up the media to collect signatures. What would she have to gain by lying and stating she would have the necessary signatures. She's just proved herself to be a flake on national stage.

  • Think Again

    Melyssa, I've done the signature thing before, albeit awhile ago. You start in early January and don't let up—you'd be surprised how many folks tell you they are a registered voter, and aren't. You usually need 3 signatures for every one required.

    It is not a task for the faint of heart.

    And nobody understands it. I've seen this process bastardized and mis-applied in a half-dozen media outlets in the last 24 hours. I'm not sure if it should change, but it's a huge task.

    Abdul, Evan's folks have hundreds of signatures they didn't turn over. What's the point?

  • Grassroots!

    When you pay for handlers for signatures you will always be in the lead. Grassroots is where it is at!

  • pogden297

    MS,

    I sign everyone's petition. Signing a petition doesn't mean you support the candidate. If someone is going to make the effort to come out and ask me to sign their petition, I'm going to do it.

  • http://twitter.com/IndyStudent Matthew Stone

    While you might see it as such, and that's your personal reasoning, I wouldn't sign the petition of a candidate that I'd never vote for.

    Now, if there was more than one candidate that I'd vote for trying to get in the primary, I'd sign both (or 3 or 4) petitions.

  • Hector

    It appears that Dan Coats got his money's worth from the folks from Kentucky that he hired to get signatures.

  • Think Again

    Excellent distinction, Matt. I once had an “open” attitude about anyone getting on the ballot. In 1972, whilst a matriculating IU student, I signed a petition to allow the Communist Party on the ballot. I thought, in America, we ought to allow anyone on the ballot.
    Show those Commies we're truly open!

    BAM! I had a $300/semester National Student Defense Loan. In 1972, that was a lot of money. Within two weeks, anyone who signed those petitions, and had NSDLs, had them yanked. All over Indiana. The ICLU fought it, and ultimately won a consent decree from the US Dept. of Ed., but it took two years and I learned a tough lesson:

    Altruistic or open-minded as it seems, ballots aren't entirely open for a reason.

    Oh yeah, Lesson Two: if you've got a paranoid president, as we did in 1972, do NOTHING to insinuate you don't fully support America all the time. (It seems the Nixon Dept. of Ed heard about the ptitions, and moved on all signatories to match-up any federal loan/scholarship programs and root out the transgressors for our just punishment)

    I laugh about it now. My parents were not amused at the time.

    So for now, I stick to my own party, but I sign all reasonable petitions. But I would support a more-open ballot placement procedure.

  • pogden297

    I'd love to see other people's take on this. My general view is that we need ballots more opened up.

    Regarding TA getting on the Communist Party list, how do we know he's not on there for some other reason? Kidding. There may be something in the law that prohibits the information gathered in the petition process from being used for soliciation, but I doubt the law would be enforced.

    I probably would draw the line too at some point.. I don't think I would have signed David Duke's petition, for example..

  • http://twitter.com/IndyStudent Matthew Stone

    I agree that gaining ballot access should be easier, or at least a more streamlined write-in process. What states are considered to have the best ballot access?

  • Hector

    i think I am for a more open ballot process but then I see in other states where sometimes there are 40 or 50 candidates for a position and that makes the entire nominating process a puzzle.