The burden is excessive. It's a sad lack of democracy. That effort will have several pratfalls, too. First, not every signature collected will turn out valid. Second, the Greens do not have a big budget.
Volunteers are the norm.
Third, the volunteer effort put into collecting these signatures will take away from the traditional focus of the Greens, according to Stuber, such as local issues and the environment. It's a tradeoff that may not be worth it. After all, even if they were able to field a candidate for a statewide office, she or he would probably get beaten like a gong by mainstream candidates. Getting on the ballot, though, can be done. It's a matter of organizing early and working hard against the odds, according to Holtzman.