SB 286

Under current law, generally, a candidate for a state or local office must file

nomination papers in order to have his or her name on the ballot. The nomination

papers must be signed by a certain number of voters residing in the jurisdiction of

the office the candidate seeks. For example, a candidate for a statewide office at a

spring election must collect at least 2,000, but no more than 4,000, valid signatures.

The filing official, typically the Elections Commission or a municipal clerk, must

determine whether the candidate has collected a sufficient number of valid

signatures to have his or her name on the ballot. If the number of valid signatures

is less than the minimum number required, the candidate is ineligible to have his or

her name on the ballot.

Under this bill, if a candidate submits nomination papers with more than the

maximum number of required signatures, but the filing official determines that the

maximum number of required signatures does not result in a sufficient number of

valid signatures, the filing official must review the additional signatures to the

extent necessary to determine whether the candidate has collected a sufficient

number of valid signatures to have his or her name on the ballot.