There are five municipalities that have all three auditor positions open but nothing but blank spaces on the ballots. Some municipalities have it worse than that. In Herndon, for example, no candidates have filed for mayor, tax collector, two council positions and two auditor slots. Albert Santor Jr., Northumberland County's director of elections, said most people do not want to take the time to run for office anymore, in part because of the requirements to get on the ballot. But it is a very big hassle for those who want to apply to be put on the ballot.
Potential candidates start by filing a petition.
For the petition, a person only needs 10 signatures from registered voters. For a job that doesn't have the prestige of city council or township supervisor, it seems like too much of a hassle. The primary responsibility of auditors is to, once a year, review the municipality's financial records and file a report. They also are involved in setting salaries. The assessor post is considered less burdening, and yet that post has lost its lure, too.