"The major-party candidates, four Democratic incumbents and four Republican challengers, have well-developed party organizations to handle their petitions. Because the petition can be circulated for one candidate or up to four on a slate, they'll almost certainly gather the required 1,000 signatures by the Feb. 2 deadline. And they'll stay warm and dry doing it.
'The apparatus helps a candidate like me, and I appreciate it,' said Daryl Hennessy, one of the four council candidates whom Republicans have endorsed. 'It helps me prepare for the race without dedicating the resources to that kind of activity.'
For the rest, it's a slog through the worst weather Columbus has to offer.
If any of them, including three Libertarians and a mixed slate of four identifying themselves as Greens and progressive Democrats, collect enough signatures, it would force a primary in May. With four council seats up for election, the City Charter calls for a primary if more than eight candidates qualify for the ballot."
One-thousand signatures may not seem like a lot, but trust me, when you're gathering signatures in Vermont in December and none of the ballpoint pens you brought with you work because the ink is literally frozen (and pencil doesn't cut it, legally speaking)-- 1,000 signatures seems like a WHOLE lot.
