Press Release

LONG AWAITED DECISION REKINDLES BALLOT ACCESS CASE

HARRISBURG, PA:  In early February the PA Supreme Court received an appeal from former state Senate candidate Dennis Baylor asking for review of certain third-party ballot access qualifications, citing that conflicting standards in the state’s current Election Code had significantly hindered his ability to campaign.  Nearly nine months passed when the Court submitted its Oct. 22 decision to deny review of the case because the original appeal has become moot – it pertained to his candidacy for the special election that ended in March.  The decision against him, while too late to aid his bid for the state Senate, also delivered an encouraging statement from Mr. Justice Eakin, who felt that Mr. Baylor raised several viable claims that should be reviewed for the benefit of future candidates.

To that end, Mr. Baylor filed a petition for reconsideration yesterday with the Supreme Court in hopes of setting a precedent for third-party candidates’ ballot access.  The foundation of his argument with two sections of the Election Code contends that the number of votes necessary to gain minor party status is excessive and ill-defined, and may unconstitutionally deny ballot access.   Justice Eakin supported this and other issues that Mr. Baylor addresses in his petition, including the strict time restraints to gather sufficient support for ballot access during special elections and redundancy in gathering signatures for such elections after garnering the required support during the normal election. 

He is now waiting again for a decision to hear his case.  It has been over a year since Mr. Baylor began his campaign for the Senate seat in 2008; his goals were to reform ballot access requirements and lower Legislative spending.  Though he was not elected, he is still working to renovate PA’s election system through petitioning the Supreme Court.

Justice Eakin’s Full Opinion

—END—

An Alternate Choice to Career Politicians

Dennis Baylor, write-in candidate

Special Election for Pennsylvania State Senator 29th District:  Tuesday, March 3, 2009

How to Vote for Dennis Baylor — Write-In Voting

Within the six counties that make up the 29^th state Senate district, three types of voting machines are used.  Click on the county in which you reside from the list below to see how you can write in your vote for Dennis Baylor.

Berks                    Carbon

Lehigh                  Monroe 

Nothampton        Schuylkill 

Why Write-In Your Vote?

Dennis Baylor has been campaigning for the state Senate seat for over a year.  On February 13, 2008, he began collecting the necessary 1,355 signatures to appear on the general election ballot as a minority party candidate.  In November, he garnered over 2,000 votes for the position; incumbent Senator Jim Rhoades won posthumously, forcing a special election. 

Mr. Baylor’s votes as a “No Party” Party candidate met the qualifications for minor party status, but only briefly, as the Dept. of State withdrew its recognition after re-interpreting state election law.  He has since filed petition for review of the ballot access denial in both Commonwealth and state Supreme Courts – twice – to no avail.  Consequently Mr. Baylor’s name will not be allowed on the ballot in March, despite his ample community support.  Wrtie-in votes are now vital to the success of our ”Help Stop America’s Most Extravagant Legislature” campaign!      

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History of Dennis Baylor’s Campaign

Dennis Baylor announced his candidacy to the press in early February, 2008.  As a non-majority party candidate, his campaign has been based on ballot access reform to enable a more fair election process by providing voters with real choices for representation in our state government.  Mr. Baylor’s fight to put the power of choice back into the hands of voters, rather than with those who seek to promote their own personal interests, has met with many obstacles - most notably the denial of ballot access and inadequate time limits.  

Listed below are local newspaper articles that chronicle Mr. Baylor’s year-long campaign.  To read each article, simply click its corresponding link, and then “Go Back” when finished.

News Articles from Dennis Baylor’s Campaign

Meet the Candidate, 2/8/08

http://www.readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=79468

Candidate for Senate vows to clean House, 2/8/08

http://www.readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=79469

Baylor eyes Senate seat, 2/25/08

http://www.republicanherald.com/articles/2008/02/25/import/19328306.txt

County Democrats endorse candidates, 3/11/08

http://www.republicanherald.com/articles/2008/03/11/import/19378906.txt

State is biased, Senate hopeful from Tilden says, 6/5/08

http://www.readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=94338

Tilden man challenges Pa. election code rules, 8/12/08

http://www.republicanherald.com/articles/2008/08/12/news/local_news/pr_republican.20080812.a.pg3.pr12baylor_s1.1871363_loc.txt

“Oversight” excludes candidate, 10/8/08

http://www.republicanherald.com/articles/2008/10/08/news/local_news/pr_republican.20081008.a.pg3.pr08baylor_s1.1998324_loc.txt

Baylor 86’ed from Forum, 10/8/08

http://www.berksmontnews.com/WebApp/appmanager/JRC/Weekly;jsessionid=XLT2Ls3K99lphybn9Zdtjvq4MBM0JlwwhynWp5Q3vTdq7Ln49Fy1!-505740741?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pg_wk_article&r21.content=/BMN/_RSSFeed/News/TopStoryList_Story_2497550&r21.pgpath=/BMN/News/Top%20Stories

Schuylkill chamber hosts “debate” minus incumbents, 10/9/08

http://www.republicanherald.com/articles/2008/10/09/news/local_news/pr_republican.20081009.a.pg11.pr09chamber_s1.2001349_loc.txt

Rhoades likely to remain on ballot; special election could be held soon after. 10/19/08

http://www.republicanherald.com/articles/2008/10/19/news/local_news/pr_republican.20081019.a.pg1.pr19rhoadeselection_s1.2026034_top3.txt

Rhoades’ chief of staff: Campaign should go on, 10/20/08

http://www.republicanherald.com/articles/2008/10/20/news/local_news/pr_republican.20081020.a.pg1.pr20rhoadesupdate_s1.2027004_top3.txt

Baylor criticizes Pa. spending, tax system, 10/31/08

http://www.republicanherald.com/articles/2008/10/31/news/local_news/pr_republican.20081031.a.pg1.pr31baylor_s1.2034301_top4.txt

Special vote will be held after Rhoades’ re-election, 11/5/08 (?)

http://www.readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=112605

Letter calls for Argall to “repay” money, 12/5/08

http://www.republicanherald.com/articles/2008/12/05/news/local_news/pr_republican.20081205.a.pg1.pr05argall_s1.2138732_top3.txt

Baylor forms No-Party Party, 12/5/08

http://www.republicanherald.com/articles/2008/12/05/news/local_news/pr_republican.20081205.a.pg3.pr05baylor_s1.2138442_loc.txt

No access for No-Party candidate on ballot, 12/11/08

http://www.republicanherald.com/articles/2008/12/11/news/local_news/pr_republican.20081211.a.pg3.pr11baylor_s1.2152874_loc.txt

Baylor files suit in state Supreme Court, 12/17/08

http://www.republicanherald.com/articles/2008/12/17/news/local_news/pr_republican.20081217.a.pg3.pr17baylor_s1.2166979_loc.txt

Attorney general opposes election lawsuit, 12/30/08

http://www.republicanherald.com/articles/2008/12/30/news/local_news/pr_republican.20081230.a.pg1.pr30baylor_s1.2195888_top4.txt

GOP gets more time to respond to Baylor suit, 1/7/09

http://www.republicanherald.com/articles/2009/01/07/news/local_news/pr_republican.20090107.a.pg3.pr07baylor_s1.2210967_loc.txt

GOP asks state high court to deny Baylor’s lawsuit, 1/9/09

http://www.republicanherald.com/articles/2009/01/09/news/local_news/pr_republican.20090109.a.pg3.pr09baylor_s1.2216317_loc.txt

Pa. high court nixes Baylor suit, 1/13/09

http://www.republicanherald.com/articles/2009/01/13/news/local_news/pr_republican.20090113.a.pg1.pr13baylor_s1.2224304_top.txt

Baylor suit dismissed by Commonwealth Court, 1/15/09

http://www.republicanherald.com/articles/2009/01/15/news/breaking_news/doc496fad477bef6684577744.txt

Election code suit dismissed on technicality, 1/16/09

http://www.republicanherald.com/articles/2009/01/16/news/local_news/pr_republican.20090116.a.pg1.pr16baylor_s1.2234033_top3.txt

Re-filed Baylor suit heard today, 2/4/09

http://www.republicanherald.com/articles/2009/02/04/news/local_news/pr_republican.20090204.a.pg3.pr04baylor_s1.2278964_loc.txt

Baylor loses round in court, 2/5/09

http://www.republicanherald.com/articles/2009/02/05/news/local_news/pr_republican.20090205.a.pg3.pr05baylor_s1.2281871_loc.txt

 Danaher 1242 Voting System

1. Press the X in the box marked “Write-In” for state Senator.
2. Press the red blinking button above the ballot.  The black shutter to its right will open revealing a section of paper.
3. Write DENNIS BAYLOR on the paper using pen.
4. Pull the black shutter closed.  The red blinking light will now turn off.
5. Press the green “Vote” button when finished.

To see a video guide about using the Danaher 1242 voting machines, or to visit the manufacturer’s website, please follow one of the links to the Dept. of State website below. 

Berks County: http://www.votespa.com/HowtoVote/VotingMachineDemo/BerksCountyVotingDemos/tabid/245/language/en-US/Default.aspx 

Monroe County: http://www.votespa.com/HowtoVote/VotingMachineDemo/MonroeCountyVotingDemos/tabid/363/language/en-US/Default.aspx. 

AccuVote – TSX Voting System

1. Touch the X in the box next to “Write-In” for state Senator.
2. Type DENNIS BAYLOR using the touch-screen keyboard and select “Record Write-In.”  You should now see Dennis Baylor’s name on your voting screen. 
3. Touch “Cast Ballot” on the screen when finished.

To see a video guide about using the AccuVote – TSX voting machines, or to visit the manufacturer’s website, please visit the Dept. of State website by following one of the links below.

Carbon County: http://www.votespa.com/HowtoVote/VotingMachineDemo/CarbonCountyVotingDemos/tabid/252/language/en-US/Default.aspx

Lehigh County: http://www.votespa.com/HowtoVote/VotingMachineDemo/LehighCountyVotingDemos/tabid/357/language/en-US/Default.aspx

Schuylkill County: http://www.votespa.com/HowtoVote/VotingMachineDemo/SchuylkillCountyVotingDemos/tabid/412/language/en-US/Default.aspx

Sequoia Advantage Voting System

1. Press the square next to “Write-In” for state Senator. You should now see a flashing green light next to the square. 
2. Type DENNIS BAYLOR using the keypad below the ballot, then press “Enter” on the keypad.  The flashing green light on the ballot will turn off.
3. Press “Cast Vote” next to the keypad when finished.

To see a video guide about using the Sequoia Advantage voting machines, or to visit the manufacturer’s website, please visit the Dept. of State website by following this link: http://www.votespa.com/HowtoVote/VotingMachineDemo/NorthamptonCountyVotingDemos/tabid/403/language/en-US/Default.aspx.

“No Party” Party of Pennsylvania state Senate candidate Dennis Baylor has campaigned for over a year to reduce the size of PA’s massive government and wasteful spending.  New records show that PA taxpayers provide the most funding to the largest state government staff in the country, despite the fact that we are only the sixth-largest in size.

Philadelphia Daily News political columnist John Baer reports a number of alarming new statistics regarding our legislature’s pay and staff size, and questions the necessity of its inflated funding while in the midst of ongoing corruption exposure.  To read, “John Baer: Our state lawmakers are tops… when it comes to staff numbers,” from Philadelphia Daily News, please click: http://www.philly.com/dailynews/local/20090218_John_Baer__Our_state_lawmakers_are_tops_____when_it_comes_to_staff_numbers.html

Stilp coming into Saint Clair.

SCHUYLKILL COUNTY, PA — Today Gene Stilp, Director of Taxpayers and Ratepayers United Association, walked fourteen miles in protest of the PPL Electric Utilities plan to raise electric rates by 40% for consumers from 29 Pennsylvania counties.  Due to the removal of electric rate caps by the state legislature, 1.4 million ratepayers will be harshly affected by the increase on Jan. 1, 2010.  Mr. Stilp began his protest walks in January this year, and so far he has visited seven counties urging legislators to propose an extension for the rate caps and to hold public meetings to increase consumer awareness. 

This morning Mr. Stilp began his walk in Mahonoy City at Neal Goodman’s office and finished at Tim Seip’s office in Pottsville in the afternoon, all the while carrying a six-foot, 20-pound electric plug with a sign reading “Pull the Plug on PPL’s 40% Rate Hike.”  Mr. Stilp plans to walk in each of the 29 affected counties in his campaign against the rate hike. 

For more information, please visit www.pulltheplugonppl.com.

HARRISBURG, PA — Today Commonwealth Court Judge Dan Pellegrini addressed two issues — minor party ballot access and a criminal allegation against Dennis Baylor — and dismissed them both.  Since  Mr. Baylor, who is seeking minor party recognition for the “No Party” Party of Pennsylvania from the Dept. of State, represented himself in a previous hearing, the Attorney General’s office accused him of the “unauthorized practice of law.”  Today Mr. Baylor argued that though he and others had applied to become registered “No Party” Party (NPP) voters, all parties received registration cards listing them as “No Affiliation” voters.  The judge dismissed the allegation due to this error in the voter registration system on the grounds that there are no existing NPP voters for Mr. Baylor to represent in order to engage in the “unauthorized practice of law.” 

Judge Pellegrini then dismissed Mr. Baylor’s petition for review to qualify the “No Party” Party of PA as a minor party because he does not have “representational standing,” as he is not a member of the party himself.   The judge complimented Mr. Baylor on his efforts for ballot access and said, “The more people who participate in the democratic process, the better it is.”

Just before today’s Commonwealth Court hearing at 3 p.m., Mr. Baylor filed his brief for minor party ballot access in the state Supreme Court, where it was granted jurisdiction late last month.

Edited by Richard Winger

February 2nd, 2009

February 2, 2009: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE