Petitons Filed for Ballot Recognition

For Immediate Release: Tuesday, March 6, 2007
Contact: Christina Michaels, 215-988-9555

Stier Demands an End to Frivolous Petition Challenges

Democratic candidate for City Council At Large Marc Stier filed
petitions with almost 3000 signatures, in his bid to appear on the May
15th ballot. The legal requirement is only 1000. But, like other
candidates, Stier had to file more because he feared that the incumbents
would use their control over the party machinery to challenge his
petitions.

At a press conference with other challengers, Stier said that, "In
November, progressives work with the party to elect Democrats to office.
But in May, we progressive are too often treated unfairly by the party.
Lawyers for the City Committee challenge our petitions on the most
technical matters. And then judges who hold office because of their
support by the party rule in ways that usually favor the incumbents and
harm the challengers. The Court decisions often are handed down without
any signed opinion, thus allowing the courts to favor established
candidates over reformers. These practices have to stop. If they don't,
sooner or later it will hurt the party, whether it is in May and we
challengers win because people are tired of the corrupt politics or in
November when the party finds out it cannot roll up such big numbers
without our help," he said.

"Frivolous petition challenges," he added, "are unfair, deny the rights
of registered voters to choose who shall appear on the ballot, and
undermine our democracy." The Stier campaign believes that when a voter
makes a minor error, such as forgetting to sign their middle initial or
reversing their signature and printed name, their support for a
candidate to appear on the ballot should not be overridden by the
courts. Only clear cases of fraud should be challenged.

"The practice of challenging the petitions of progressive candidates can
seriously damage our campaigns by forcing us to spend money defending
ourselves in court while the legal costs of the incumbents are paid for
by the party. Frivolous challenges to our petitions also make it
difficult to raise money while the status of our candidacy is unclear,"
said Stier.

Stier has pledged not to challenge any candidate except in case of fraud
and to stand with any candidate whose petitions have been challenged on
frivolous grounds.

###