This story was produced by the State College regional bureau of Spotlight PA, an independent, nonpartisan newsroom dedicated to investigative and public-service journalism for Pennsylvania. Sign up for Talk of the Town, a weekly newsletter of local stories that dig deep, events, and more from north-central PA, at spotlightpa.org/newsletters/talkofthetown.
By Min Xian | Spotlight PA
A number of municipal and county offices will be on the ballot this year, including township supervisor, council, and county row office seats.
About 50% of 673 elected municipal officials said they ran unopposed in both the primary and general elections that got them in office, according to their response to a 2021 survey by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a legislative agency.
Pennsylvania’s more than 2,500 municipalities require almost 13,000 elected officials to operate, according to the center’s survey.
Many public roles, including judicial positions, school board seats, and municipal board members, are on the ballot this year.
With the nomination petition window opening Feb. 18, here are the basics of running for local public office in Pennsylvania.
Who is eligible?
Adult residents who have lived in their municipality for at least one year and are registered as voters there can run for county, borough, and township offices. While special qualifications might apply to specific positions, this eligibility rule generally applies.
An unofficial list by the Bucks County Board of Elections shows more than dozens of seats will be on the ballot.
What’s the first step?
Potential candidates can begin gathering signatures for their nomination petition today. Petition packets — paperwork including instructions for candidates — can be found at county election offices. The Department of State also provides resources online.
Depending on the office, candidates have to obtain a required amount of signatures — 250 for county offices, for example, and 10 to be on school boards.
Filling out the petition paperwork properly is crucial, Centre County Director of Elections Melanie Bailey told Spotlight PA in an email. The candidate’s name and office they seek should be legibly written, correct, and consistent throughout the paperwork, Bailey said.
Special attention should be paid to the people who sign the nomination petition too, she added. Signers must be registered to vote and belong to the same political party as the candidate, Bailey wrote. She recommends getting more signatures than what is required.
Filing the paperwork
Once nomination petitions have the necessary signatures, petitioners submit the paperwork along with any applicable filing fees to their county election office. They have until March 11 to complete this crucial step to appear on the ballot in the primary election.
The state published a detailed calendar for additional deadlines of this process.
The Pennsylvania municipal primary is May 20. The General Election is Nov. 4.
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