R.I. political aspirants seek these letters: Q. B. P
3:08 PM Thu, Jul 17, 2008 | Permalink
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Q.B.P. Tomorrow, those are the most important letters of the alphabet for Rhode Island candidates, political junkies and taxpayers alike. They stand for "qualified ballot position," which means a candidate for offices small and large, from town races to Congress, handed in enough valid voter signatures to be certified for placement on Rhode Island's ballot. "When your readers wake up tomorrow morning they wil be able to see who made the ballot and who didn't, subject to any last-minute challenges," said Chris Barnett, spokesman for Secretary of State Ralph Mollis's office. People will be able to check the secretary of state's Web site, which will have a database of candidates finalized tomorrow morning, Barnett said. Today at 4 p.m. is the deadline for boards of canvassers in cities and towns to get candidates' voter signatures into the Secretary of State's Office. Tomorrow at 4 p.m. is the deadline for anyone to file a challenge. Someone can challenge a candidate who the Secretary of State's Office certified for the ballot. And someone who tried to make the ballot but did not can also challenge his or her denial. At 5 p.m. tomorrow in the State Room of the State House in Providence, Mollis will hold a lottery to determine the order in which unendorsed candidates for Congress and the General Assembly will appear on primary ballots. The lottery will also set the order in which recognized political parties and independent candidates will appear on the November ballot. Mollis's office this week has been posting tallies online of voters' signatures submitted by prospective candidates for Rhode Island offices to see who has gathered enough to get on this year's ballot. Each morning, the Secretary of State's Web site database refreshes with new tallies for signatures that local boards of canvassers have approved and that the Secretary of State's office signs off on. The thresholds range from 50 signatures for the state House of Representatives and many town/city offices to 1,000 signatures for the U.S. Senate. Last Friday was the deadline to submit signatures in order for candidates to make the ballot for the Sept. 9 primary or Nov. 4 election. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney 
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