In Brooklyn I am used to the period of petition posturing, where each candidate compares the size of their petitions and challenges the validity of the other's petitions while screaming foul over any challenge to their petitions. It is all part of the game. This election is the first time I have observed the process taking place elsewhere (though I knew it happend) partly because some of the posturing has taken place here on DG. There has been considerable discussion over the 1400 signatures collected by Jimmy Dahroug vs. the 3000 signatures collected by Brian Foley in a race that requires 1000 signatures. The assumption has been that 3000 signatures was unchallengable while 1400 was going to be challenged and Dahroug would get kicked off the ballot because he hadn't collected enough signatures to cover his petitioning ass.
I made two points in this whole discussion. First: neither number is all that impressive to me since I know people who, using petitioning as a chance to meet the voters and get their name out, collect 5000 door-to-door, unchallengable signatures in a race that only requires 1000. Neither Jimmy nor Brian have much to brag about by Brooklyn standards.
Second: there are two methods to collect signatures. By all accounts Jimmy Dahroug took the slow and sure approach where you go door-to-door with a walk list of registered Democrats. The main advantage to this approach is you know for certain that each and every signature you get is from a registered voter in your district. If you do this, then you don't NEED overkill because you know that first 1000 sigatures cover it and 400 extra is ample to cover your ass. It still isn't something to brag about, but it is a valid petitioning strategy. Also by all accounts Brian Foley took the second approach to petitioning which is to hire a bunch of people who don't really care about the election who stand on corners or outside stores or whatever and collect signatures from anyone willing to stop. This is much faster but has a much higher rate of invalid signatures and you don't have the advantage of being able to check the signatures as you go along. With this second strategy you can claim overkill but you need it because a substantial number of your signatures will be invalid. Looked at this way, 1400 careful signatures collected slowly and carefully can be considered the equivalent of 3000 signatures collected the quick and dirty way with a higher error rate. At least that would be my estimate having done the slow, painful way every year since 2004.
So, if Jimmy Dahroug really DID collect his signatures carefully, those who predicted he will get kicked off the ballot should know better. I had confidence his signatures would be validated and he would remain on the ballot. Which is what has happened. From Jimmy's campaign:
Yesterday State Senate Candidate Jimmy Dahroug's petitions were declared valid in a unanimous decision by Suffolk County Board of Elections Commissioners.
"We knew our petitions were valid from the beginning and we are pleased that the Commissioners have unanimously confirmed it," said Dahroug.
Dahroug stated "we look forward to resuming a spirited campaign in the interest of the voters."
No surprise if he did the petitioning right...which I guess he did. Nothing to brag about, but certainly a decent job of it.
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