Instead, they made it even more complicated ...

Please contact your Senator.

What should have been a simple fix to the 2012 candidate filing snafu has gotten
unnecessarily complicated.

The only change needed was to require all candidates, challengers and
incumbents, to file their Statement of Economic Interest (SEI) the same way, and
require all SEI filing on-line (delete paper requirement).

Instead, the Senate wants to make the process more complicated for candidates.
Their latest version, which may receive final vote on Tuesday, makes the process
much more difficult for candidates to file, potentially limiting access to the
ballot. That is wrong.

The Senate took a simple process and turned it into a complicated three step
process. They want candidates to file their SEI on-line. That is good, but
instead of continuing to let candidates file everything else with the party of
their choice, they want the candidate to do part of the filing with the party
and part of it with the county elections director.

So, if the Senate version passes, candidates will have to do three things with
three different bodies instead of simply filing their SEI on-line and meeting
with chosen party to file everything else.


We do not need more steps in the process or more government involvement in our
primary. It is wrong to ask the candidate to meet with the party, then go to the
election commission, then file SEI on-line. Please contact your senator and ask
him or her to make the process simple and fair.

Thanks,

Phillip Bowers
Pickens County GOP