Running for public office is a voluntary decision. No one is compelled to become a candidate, and no one is entitled to have others do the work necessary to get their name on the ballot.
In states such as New Jersey, where petition signature requirements for many state and local offices are relatively modest, candidates seeking office under the Libertarian Party designation should bear primary responsibility for obtaining the signatures necessary to qualify for the ballot.
This argument is not directed at states where restrictive ballot-access laws impose extraordinary burdens on minor-party candidates. Those circumstances present different challenges and may require substantial organizational and financial assistance.
But where ballot access is reasonably attainable through individual effort, candidates should be prepared to do the work themselves.
If someone cannot find the motivation to collect a relatively small number of signatures to get on the ballot, how motivated will that person be to conduct an actual campaign?
Collecting signatures is not simply a bureaucratic hurdle. It is an opportunity to meet voters, introduce oneself, explain Libertarian principles, and begin building the relationships necessary for a credible campaign.
Every signature represents an opportunity for personal contact. A candidate who knocks on doors, approaches neighbors, attends community events, and speaks directly with potential voters is already campaigning.
That experience has value beyond ballot qualification.
Volunteers, Not Obligations
Libertarian Party members who support a candidate are free to assist in gathering petition signatures. Voluntary cooperation is one of the strengths of any political organization.
But there is a fundamental difference between asking for help and expecting it.
No Libertarian Party member should ever be required, pressured, or coerced into collecting signatures for a candidate.
Membership in the Libertarian Party does not create an obligation to support every candidate running under its banner. Individual members may disagree with a candidate’s positions, qualifications, or campaign strategy. Others may simply have different priorities for their time.
That is their right.
Party officers and regional representatives should likewise be free to assist candidates, but their positions should not automatically make them responsible for obtaining petition signatures.
A political party dedicated to individual liberty should respect the freedom of its own members to decide which candidates, if any, deserve their personal efforts.
The Problem With Paid Petition Circulators
There is also a tendency to treat ballot access as something that can simply be purchased.
Rather than personally collecting signatures, some candidates may prefer to pay petition circulators to do the work for them.
Although paid petition circulation may be legally permissible, its use raises a legitimate question about a candidate’s commitment, particularly in states such as New Jersey, where many state and local races have relatively modest signature requirements.
A candidate who pays others to perform even the most basic tasks of getting on the ballot misses an opportunity to demonstrate initiative and personal responsibility.
Money can purchase a service. It cannot substitute for genuine commitment.
In states with exceptionally demanding ballot-access laws, paid circulators may be a practical necessity. But that should not become the standard approach in jurisdictions where the required signatures can reasonably be collected through personal effort and voluntary assistance.
The Party Is Not a Campaign Staff
The Libertarian Party exists to advance the principles of liberty, recruit and nominate candidates, educate the public, and provide an organizational structure for political activity.
It does not follow that every candidate is entitled to a ready-made campaign organization staffed by party volunteers.
Candidates should not assume that their nomination automatically entitles them to the time, labor, or financial resources of other party members.
Nor should the party be expected to divert its limited resources toward performing basic campaign responsibilities that candidates are capable of handling themselves.
Volunteers are precisely that: volunteers.
Their contributions should be appreciated, never presumed.
Commitment Begins Before Election Day
Seeking public office requires initiative, discipline, perseverance, and a willingness to engage with the public.
Those qualities should become apparent long before Election Day.
In states such as New Jersey, collecting nominating petition signatures for many state and local offices is often one of the first tangible opportunities for candidates to demonstrate those qualities.
If the signature requirement is modest, the task should not be viewed as an unreasonable burden. It should be viewed as an opportunity to demonstrate commitment.
A candidate unwilling to make that initial effort should seriously reconsider whether running for office is a responsibility they are prepared to accept.
The Libertarian Party should welcome candidates who are willing to work for the opportunity to represent its principles, not candidates who expect others to deliver that opportunity to them.
The principle is simple: If you want your name on the ballot, take responsibility for putting it there.
Ask for help when you need it. Appreciate those who volunteer. Respect those who decline.
But never confuse the voluntary generosity of party members with an obligation to do your work for you.
Liberty includes personal responsibility. A Libertarian candidacy should begin by demonstrating both.
Tim O’Brien
Disclaimer: Member articles are published to encourage debate and discussion within the party. The views and opinions in each piece belong to the author and do not always reflect any platform plank or official LP stance. We encourage people to challenge the status quo — including our own.