...As we speak, at City Hall.
This is a good moment to remind everyone that petitions for city-wide office -- for our purposes, we're talking the mayor's race and city council -- are due tomorrow.
The mayoral candidates need 1,000 signatures on their petitions to be put on the ballot May 15. Citywide council candidates also need 1,000; district council candidates need 750. The signatures must be of real voters who are registered in the party and live in the area represented.
Dr. Kerry Foster, the Green Party candidate, and other candidates of minor political parties, however, just have to get 1,000 signatures from any registered city voter. (In Foster's case, for example, those signatures don't have to be from registered Green Party voters.) For more on this, read the Committee of 70's How to Run for Political Office guide.)
Obviously, we'll keep you posted on petition filings, petition challenges and all other ballot news.
ETA: Awww. Nutter took his daughter, Olivia, with him as he delivered his 13,000, count 'em 13,000, signatures. From his press release:
Mayoral Candidate Michael Nutter, along with his 12 year old daughter Olivia, turned in 13,000 Democratic Petitions at the Board of Elections today at 12:30p.m.
“I am honored to have my daughter with me as I turn in 13,000 signatures collected from every ward in the city, and for her to be able to see the election process first hand,” said Nutter. “This is something we can experience as a family, not something she has to read about in a book.”
“I am also humbled by the hundreds of grassroots activists that took the time during the winter storms to talk to their neighbors and collect signatures. The grassroots support the campaign is receiving amazes me everyday” exclaimed Nutter.
Michael Nutter was the first candidate to declare his candidacy and was the first to turn in his petitions.