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View Full Version : Liberty Candidate in NY 20th Special Election




SaratogaForRonPaul
02-12-2009, 08:32 PM
With Gillibrand taking up Hillary's Senate seat, there is now a Special Election for the NY 20th Congressional seat. Eric Sundwall is the NY Libertarian Chair, who is running on Ron Paul's Independent 4 point plan of foreign policy, privacy, national debt, and abolishing the Federal Reserve. When Governor Patterson officially announces the election on February 23rd, Eric's campaign will only have 12 days to collect over 3,500 signatures (tough even over the normal 6 week period with normal elections), while the Democrat and Republican candidates do not have to collect any signatures. Eric needs $10,000 to help hire professional ballot collectors in addition to the volunteers to help make this happen. He has already collected half, but needs help to get the rest in time.

Please visit: http://www.sundwall4congress.org

SaratogaForRonPaul
02-14-2009, 02:24 PM
He will need some help in this. It is the only election across the country, and we have a horse in the race. Please help out.

KCIndy
02-14-2009, 07:34 PM
Why hasn't the Libertarian Party been sending out some fund raising emails on this?? I'm on their mailing lists and haven't heard anything.

This is one chance for the Liberty Movement to throw its entire national weight behind a single candidate.

dr. hfn
02-14-2009, 07:59 PM
bump!

oilboiler
02-14-2009, 09:07 PM
There was a Ron Paul Republican in the primary in the 20th district. He was pretty good, I wonder if he will try again. Here is his site.

http://www.freedomcandidate.com/

cindy25
02-14-2009, 09:37 PM
I don't like the idea of paid signature gatherers. the candidate should be able to gather 100 per day himself (1200); family members another 1200 even if just on weekends.
while the weather makes it difficult he can get any registered voter to sign regardless of party affiliation.

KCIndy
02-15-2009, 01:51 AM
I don't like the idea of paid signature gatherers. the candidate should be able to gather 100 per day himself (1200); family members another 1200 even if just on weekends.
while the weather makes it difficult he can get any registered voter to sign regardless of party affiliation.


I imagine paid signature gatherers may be an unfortunate necessity. Keep in mind that not all people are as interested in politics as those you find on these boards.

I once spent some time talking to a guy who was gathering ballot signatures outside of a local supermarket. He was a Libertarian, and as I stood there talking with him briefly (I had to sympathetically explain that I lived in a different state - I was visiting his state of Arizona on business and therefore unable to legally sign) I was amazed at how many "no!" or negative shakes of the head, or flat-out indifference he was met with.

Keep in mind, this was a polite, well-mannered, clean, and neatly dressed person. He had the signature forms clearly visible, and was very professional and non-confrontational about asking people to sign to get the candidate on the ballot.

No one cared.

No one signed for the fifteen minutes or so I stood by, chatting only when people weren't around.

There are times I take for granted that everyone is as concerned with the political process as I am. Then I have to shake my head and remind myself that the people on web sites like this one and others are actually relatively rare. We actually care what our government is doing and feel strongly enough to take action.

SaratogaForRonPaul
02-15-2009, 04:02 PM
Cindy, I was a candidate in the NY 21st district and worked my butt off to get signatures. Going door to door takes a LONG time, and working 8+ hours a day, I still could only get about 40 signatures. I had 6 weeks to get 1250 signatures with 30+ volunteers, and we did get 1600 signatures. It is not as easy as you think as everyone has day jobs (volunteers and people who are not home during the day to sign your petition).

3500 in 12 days is VERY difficult, and the only way to possibly succeed is paid petioners IN ADDITION to a small army of volunteers. The good news in this case is that any registered voter in the 20th can sign this (ie any party). In my race, only registered Republicans can sign.

torchbearer
02-15-2009, 04:04 PM
Cindy, I was a candidate in the NY 21st district and worked my butt off to get signatures. Going door to door takes a LONG time, and working 8+ hours a day, I still could only get about 40 signatures. I had 6 weeks to get 1250 signatures with 30+ volunteers, and we did get 1600 signatures. It is not as easy as you think as everyone has day jobs (volunteers and people who are not home during the day to sign your petition).

3500 in 12 days is VERY difficult, and the only way to possibly succeed is paid petioners IN ADDITION to a small army of volunteers. The good news in this case is that any registered voter in the 20th can sign this (ie any party). In my race, only registered Republicans can sign.

This is why everyone should have similar election laws like louisiana..
You can do a petition, or you can pay a qualification fee.
Everyone just pays the fee to be on the ballot.

And that is how it should be.
Those people who wish to be on the ballot, get on the ballot by paying a share of the cost of the election.

cindy25
02-15-2009, 10:40 PM
Cindy, I was a candidate in the NY 21st district and worked my butt off to get signatures. Going door to door takes a LONG time, and working 8+ hours a day, I still could only get about 40 signatures. I had 6 weeks to get 1250 signatures with 30+ volunteers, and we did get 1600 signatures. It is not as easy as you think as everyone has day jobs (volunteers and people who are not home during the day to sign your petition).

3500 in 12 days is VERY difficult, and the only way to possibly succeed is paid petioners IN ADDITION to a small army of volunteers. The good news in this case is that any registered voter in the 20th can sign this (ie any party). In my race, only registered Republicans can sign.

I know how difficult it is to get signatures, but it has to be door to door; this acorn style supermarket signup is more hastle than its worth. people will sign who are out of district, you have to find the election precinct, and many who sign are not voters.

I do agree it should be easier, but they won't change it to make it easier.

But if the Libertarian candidate for governor gets 50 thousand in 2010 then its automatic access at least for special elections.