I read “Connecticut, America’s strongest incumbent-protection state” opinion piece with interest and agreement.  As someone who petitioned to get Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on the ballot last year, I can attest to the absolute ridiculous rules and regulations in Connecticut to unfairly restrict people from getting on the ballot.

The biggest impediment is cost.  While we in Connecticut had hundreds of volunteers willing to “stand out on the pavement,” the nature of the process requires you to collect around 150% of the required signature count due to expected disqualifications.  Why? “Signer didn’t list their correct address; the state can’t read the signer’s printing (they must print themselves); can’t read their birthdate” (yes that’s required); and it goes on.  So because of the sheer signature numbers required, ultimately, you resort to needing to pay for people to help.  

This is clearly intended to take funds away from educating the voters on policies, qualifications, etc.  So, ultimately, it’s a ploy to undemocratically keep people from running.  And it works.

Here’s more, the State of Connecticut absolutely makes it impossible to actually do this job.  Did you know that the state won’t allow you to  petition outside a Division of Motor Vehicles office?  You also cannot petition outside the Post Office.  You cannot petition outside any privately owned business, like grocery stores. (And while this doesn’t sound like a problem, most private businesses won’t allow it because people don’t like to be asked).  So, the state is requiring it, but doing everything possible to make it impossible to accomplish.

This process of antiquated and onerous and I believe undemocratic.  So, for a state that constantly purports to be the bastion of democracy, this is absolutely the opposite of that.

Jan Carpenter lives in Fairfield.