I’ve mentioned this before, but it bears repeating. Though things with my campaign are relatively silent right now, things will heat up starting on April 15th, a month away. Starting on that date and ending on May 24th, I will need to gather 1,201 valid signatures in order to appear on the November general election ballot.
When I say valid signatures, I mean that I need signatures that meet the following criteria:
- Must be a registered voter
- Must be alive
- Must live within the city of Albany
I will attempt to gather 1,500 signatures to compensate for what will probably be signatures that will claim to be valid when they are really not. My opponents will likely resort to dirty tactics to render my signatures invalid by encouraging people to sign in the names of people who do not meet the above criteria. I am prepared for that.
Once I get my signatures, I must turn the nomination forms (petitions) to the Board of Elections. Once they validate 1,201 signatures I am then on the ballot. Now, if I do not get those signatures, I will likely choose to proceed as a write-in candidates, but no write-in candidate has ever become mayor in Albany. But that won’t stop me!
I cannot solicit signatures, nor can I accept signatures until April 15th. Doing so will render those signatures invalid and I will not commit voter fraud by accepting signatures now and postdate them. So, if you’d like to sign up, check back here in early April for details on a petition drive that will hopefully gain most of the signatures that I need.
So, that’s about it. Given that I am an independent candidate, I will not appear on the primary ballot and, assuming I get those signatures, I will proceed to the general. Anything can happen.
Until April 15th, there will be silence on my end unless something happens, like updates on the sex scandal happening at City Hall. I have demanded the resignation of Kathy Sheehan, our outgoing mayor, because she surely had to know something and, quite frankly, the buck stops at her desk.
But I digress.