Feb 10, 2021 5 min read

While mail-in ballots and virtual campaign events gained popularity during last year’s presidential election in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, some integral parts of politicking still must be done in person.

That includes registered voters personally signing nominating petitions in order to help get candidates on the ballot, which begins this Tuesday for the May 18 off-year primary election.

Many candidates and their supporters typically go door-to-door to enlist signatures from voters in their own party where they’re seeking the nomination, while political operatives will hold big gatherings in order to have groups of people sign the nominating papers. That will still happen, albeit in a scaled-down and physically distanced manner as the pandemic continues.

Dave Ball, chairman of the Washington County Republican Party, said they learned a new tactic to make voters feel safe while campaigning door-to-door during last year’s presidential election.

“As we finished the last election, most of the candidates seemed to have a modified manner of door-knocking,” Ball said. “We found that if you knock and stand back … that many people will answer the door. If you hand them a petition board, everyone’s wearing their mask and observing social distancing, many people will participate.”

Ball admitted that won’t work for everyone, but they’ll still attempt to engage the public because signatures must be witnessed by the person circulating the petition.

In previous years, Ball said the county’s GOP would hold several large signing-parties to ensure candidates received more than the required signatures in case there was a challenge.

“Obviously that’s not happening this year. It’ll be a little different this year, but it’ll just take people to take their time and think it through a little bit,” Ball said, adding they will hold smaller gatherings to allow for physical distancing. “It’s going to be a subdued event. But you have to do what you have to do.”

Ben Bright, who is chairman of the Washington County Democratic Party and is planning to run for county controller, is also looking for safe ways to circulate his nominating petitions.

“That’s not actually an awful thing to do door knocking because there is very little interaction. It’s not the group gatherings,” Bright said. “You just have to hand the sheet and step back. You still can maintain some safety there.”

Instead, he said the real challenge will be engaging voters and raising money to have a viable candidacy in the primary and general election.

“Honestly, the petition is the easy part. It’s a lot of one-on-one where you can maintain caution there,” he said. “When you get into fundraising and campaigning, you want those crowds. It’s a different world out there.”

County elections officials aren’t allowed to offer suggestions, but the nominating petitions must be submitted to their local office by the close of business March 9.

“We have no guidance,” Washington County Elections Director Melanie Ostrander said. “”We don’t offer any advice on how to get the signatures.”

But how they go about getting those signatures is still somewhat in flux just six days before the three-week process begins.

The Greene County Republican Party met Tuesday night to discuss how to safely gather signatures for its local races during the pandemic.

“And we’ll figure it out from there,” said Greg Hopkins, who is the county party’s chairman. “It’s still up in the air about how (the party’s candidates) will collect signatures.”

One benefit of this year’s election is that the most races involve local or county positions, meaning few signatures are needed to get on the ballot. For school board, borough or township government positions, only 10 signatures are needed, while 100 signers are required to run for magistrate or city government. Countywide row offices and Court of Common Pleas judges have a slightly higher threshold with 250 signatures needed to get on the ballot.

“It’s going to have to happen the same way it always has,” said Bill Kozlovich, chairman of the Fayette County Republican Party.

Kozlovich said he plans to supervise a table at Laurel Mall in Dunbar later this month to get signatures from shoppers.

“Wear your mask and stay as far back as you can,” Kozlovich said. “That’s all you can do. … I can watch (a voter sign) from six feet away.”

George Rattay, chairman of the Fayette County Democratic Party, said the candidates he’s spoken to “have a game plan” on how to go about the process and they’re ready to move forward next week.

“We have a plan and there’s no doubt in my mind we will meet those signatures. … We just have to be careful going out,” Rattay said.

Two years ago, Democrats in Fayette County had centralized locations in Connellsville, Uniontown, Masontown and Perryopolis to help get candidates for row offices enough signatures. The Democrats are holding a meeting Saturday to discuss how to go about the process this year in a safe manner so people don’t get infected with COVID-19.

“We’re going to be careful and the candidate will be careful,” Rattay said. “Not just for the Democrats, it’s the same way for anyone running for office.”