No Place For Libertarians, Greens On PA Ballot

There is nothing good about the departure from the ballot of every minor-party candidate who filed petitions for the Commonwealth's fall election. The harsh system governing signatures (use of a middle initial or nickname can invalidate a signature, as can failure to use the same middle initial or nickname) is a deplorable barrier to participation. The tactical use of challenges by Democrats, Republicans and big-party campaigns is distasteful, even for the rare challenger (such as Joe Sestak) who does not lie about it. The lack of choice for voters is another loss, especially in an election in which just one of the four major statewide candidates deserves to be elected. The duopoly protects the major parties, while failing Pennsylvanians.