Yesterday I went to Cloquet and added another 120 signatures to my petition. Some strongly pro life signed despite my contrary views just so the voters would have the choice. Quite a number recognized my name from Duluth’s School Board politics and not a few complimented my on my snow sculptures. I’m up to 456 signatures after three days and I’ve got six to go before I have to hustle down to the St. Paul and turn in the whole kit an kaboodle.
I did have one note of caution thrown at me. A volunteer for another candidate, a legislator, told me that when they took in their signature list only five of 100 signers names were accepted because they hadn’t required people to print their full middle names. If this happens to me I’ll have to get about 350 new names to compensate.
I checked out the state law on the subject and there is no mention of requiring printed names let alone printed middle names. The form I was given at the Secretary of State’s office has it listed but I didn’t take it that seriously. In fact, the two nice people I got the form from made a point of telling me that I should look up the state laws before I made up my own form rather than go by the one they were giving me. So I have been.
The law does say something about the Secretary of state doing what’s necessary to supervise petitions but if she has added this extra hurdle she did not hand out any instructions to that affect that I can find.
I’ll get full printed names from now on but if I fall short of the 1000 signatures on account of this I will not be a very happy camper.
My big push will be Wed-Friday at Duluth’s Sidewalk days. I may be able to get 300 a day then. That should make up for any losses.
After coming home I cleaned up and took an all too short nap before Claudia and I went out ballroom dancing. A couple of friends and neighbors passed on their good wishes in my quest to beat Oberstar. I danced a little lighter after that – except for the waltz. There were a lot of dancers racing by us and it was a little like bumper cars. Kind of like politics.
