Running a Write-In or Jacking the System

Sometimes you have to ask, “Should I do something just because I can?”

Primaries are coming up next Tuesday.  We are selecting school boards and township officials.  Lower Providence has one Supervisor up.  We (read: The Democrats) looked during the petition signing process for someone to step up and no one did.

One person from the GOP stepped up; a kid who used to watch my kids, Patrick.  When he delivered papers 15-20 years ago he would stop on his route and we would talk politics.  I was running various Democratic Committees at that point – so we would go back and forth.   Today he’s a 30-something lawyer with a couple of little kids.  He wants to get involved so he stepped up.  He’s a nice guy.

Over the past few weeks someone DID step up for the Democrats.  His periscope popped up and Jim appeared.  Jim is a retired union guy, a steam fitter.  He has gotten involved to save a portion of the environment that is being threatened with development of sewer pipes.  He is also a Constable.  He sits on the Municipal Authority.

Two years ago, 3 GOP people were running for 2 slots.  The Democrats did not have anyone who stepped up during the petition signing process that year either.  The local Tea Party maven decided to run a write-in on the Democratic side.  At that point all 3 GOP people started writing in on our side.  The night before the election 2 Democrats who got really sick of the games being played stepped up to run.  We did a quick write-in and got one of our people on the ballot.  For the general election there were 4 different people on the ballot 2 GOP (Tea Party maven being one of them) on the GOP side and 1 GOP and a Democrat on the Democratic side.  The turn of events in November froze out both the Tea Party maven and the Democrat.  Disaffected Republicans crossed over and voted for the Republican who remained on the Democratic ticket.

This year is different.  Now it is a one-on-one election.  But, Patrick has taken a page from the Tea Party maven’s playbook and decided to run a write-in on the Democratic ballot.  He is already blurring the line by sporting blue campaign signs.  If he wins both the GOP and Democratic Ballots, he has won the election.  He does not have to do ANYTHING in the fall.  Patrick is a lawyer – he knows the rules.

The question is – should Jim the Democrat return the favor and run a write-in on the GOP side?

Yes, he can do that – but it is right? 

In this case, I would tell him not to pull this stunt and just run as a Democrat for the fall.  (If Jim’s GOP friends want to - sure - they can write him in; but Jim doesn’t need to play with this.)  Jim can highlight that he is a straight shooter who isn’t going to game the system - even when facing a lawyer holding all the cards.

The primary system is so screwed up in Pennsylvania that only the Democrats and GOP can participate.  That means if Patrick wins his write-in on the Democratic side, he has disenfranchised the portion of the electorate who are neither Democrat nor Republican (about 15%).  They will have no opportunity to cast a ballot up or down for him or anyone.  Is that really right?

The other thing that is going on here is that when one party jacks the system this way – it does not allow for people to even want to step up.  A person who may want to run, but if they have the impression the only way into the system is to deal with a local GOP Party they may feel is corrupt, it may kill any desire to participate. 

I can see why the local GOP would be afraid of a real election in November.  If there is a contested election, there could be a repeat scenario where a large number of disaffected GOP members who don’t like this behavior coalesce with the Democrats, Independents and Non-Partisans to turn back someone using the local Tea Party playbook.

It has already been proven the portion of the electorate that does not care for the major parties really makes a difference in Lower Providence.

If the Democrats want to attract non-partisans and independent voters, they have to do something to show that Democrats are worthy of support.  Not playing games with the rules to force an advantage that disenfranchises over 15% of your population is a start.

At the state level, getting everyone voting in the primaries would also be really cool – so we don’t have to deal with these games.