Opinion ID: 2397006
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Signatures Struck by the Secretary

Text: Candidates assert that the Commonwealth Court erred by denying them relief on their claim that the action of the Secretary of the Commonwealth in striking 4,936 signatures from their Nomination Papers without providing them with notice was a violation of due process. Section 976 of the Election Code, 25 P.S. § 2936, authorizes the Secretary of the Commonwealth to disregard any signature that appears not to be genuine when determining if the Nomination Papers contain the sufficient number of signatures. Significantly, although the Secretary rejected 4,936 signatures, he accepted the Candidates' Nomination Papers because he concluded that 25,697 signatures appeared facially valid. Reply to the Order of Court filed by Secretary of the Commonwealth, August 24, 2004, at 2. In light of the acceptance of the Nomination Papers, the actions of the Secretary did not directly harm the Candidates. Had the Secretary rejected the Nomination Papers, the Candidates would clearly have been entitled to seek judicial relief. Section 976 of the Election Code provides that a refusal of the Secretary to receive and file a Nomination Papers may be reviewed by the court upon an application to compel its acceptance as of the date when it was presented. Where, as here, the Secretary accepts Nomination Papers, the Commonwealth Court recognized the potential for signatures stricken by the Secretary to become a deciding factor in a later objection hearing. When this occurs, the court recognized that bringing a mandamus petition to reinstate the stricken signatures may not be practical due to time constraints. Instead, it approved the approach taken by the Objectors, who included the signatures already rejected by the Secretary in their Objections to the Nomination Papers. [19] Because the Objectors utilized this procedure, the Candidates had notice of the stricken signatures, and the Objectors assumed the Secretary's burden to prove the invalidity of the signatures. The Candidates assert that the fact that the Commonwealth Court suggested the possibility of seeking relief in mandamus indicates that it unfairly placed the burden on them to challenge the Secretary's decision. They note that mandamus was not a possible remedy because the Secretary failed to advise them of his actions in a timely manner. However, the court recognized that the procedure employed in the instant matter, whereby the Objectors incorporated into their Objections the signatures stricken by the Secretary and gave notice to the Candidates of the identity of the signatures and the basis for the challenges, was sufficient to meet the requirements of due process. The Candidates correctly note that a fundamental requirement of procedural due process is the opportunity to be heard at a meaningful time and in a meaningful manner. Armstrong v. Manzo, 380 U.S. 545, 85 S.Ct. 1187, 14 L.Ed.2d 62 (1965). Here, the procedure that was used, and approved, by the court provided for the Candidates to be advised of the signatures that the Secretary had rejected, thereby giving them an opportunity to rebut the arguments and evidence presented by the Objectors in support of the Secretary's striking of the signatures. Accordingly, the requirements of due process were met in this matter.