Nominating Petitions For Congress To Begin Circulation Amid GOP Challenge Of New Map
NORRISTOWN, Pa. (CBS) -- Congressional candidates in Pennsylvania can start circulating nominating petitions Tuesday under the new map handed down last week by the state Supreme Court.
Candidates have to get a required number of signatures from registered voters from the district where they plan to run to get on the ballot.
"It's not rocket science, but it is labor intensive," said Democratic political consultant Mark Nevins. "You need to take the time to circulate petitions properly and take the time to make sure they're done by the letter and the spirit of the law."
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There is an argument that once nominating petitions go out it would be all but impossible to reverse course and revert to the old map, but Nevins says so far in this process the only certainty has been the uncertainty.
"I think once the petitions start going out it's really hard to reign that back in. Having said that, I think the court can do whatever they want," he said. "I think if there's anything we know with certainty it's that we don't really know anything about this process."
Nevins says for now campaigns can only operate under rules they know, and, unless they hear otherwise, that means using the new map.
Republicans are pushing an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court while a hearing in federal court in Harrisburg is scheduled for March 9.