NOTICE AND ORDER 
OBJECTIONS TO NOMINATION PETITIONS/PAPERS 
IN THE 2023 MUNICIPAL PRIMARY AND MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS 
AND ALL FUTURE PENNSYLVANIA ELECTIONS 

Objections to nomination petitions/papers of candidates seeking to be 
placed on the ballot(s) for the May 16, 2023 Municipal Primary Election and/or the 
November 7, 2023 Municipal Election, or for any future Pennsylvania election, 
shall  proceed  in  the  Commonwealth  Court  as  set  forth  in  the  Order  below,  until 
further  Order  of  the  Court.    See  In  re  Moore,  291  A.2d  531,  533  (Pa.  1972) 
(recognizing that the manner of service of objection petitions, the fixing of hearings, 
and the manner of notice thereof are purely judicial functions entrusted to this Court 
under Section 977 of the Election Code, 25 P.S. § 2937). 

o  provide  for  the  prompt  and  efficient  disposition  of  objection 
petitions,  all  objectors,  candidates,  and  counsel  are  hereby  notified  that  the 
following Order alters the traditional form of personal service of objection petitions 
upon a candidate for office that this Court has previously required.  In addition, to 
improve  timely  accessibility  of  filings  to  the  Court  and  parties,  all  objectors, 
candidates, and counsel are strongly encouraged to submit filings electronically as 
provided below.   

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ccordingly, the Court ORDERS as follows:  

 

 

   

 
IN THE COMMONWEALTH COURT OF PENNSYLVANIA 

: 
N RE OBJECTIONS TO 
NOMINATION PETITIONS/PAPERS  : 
IN THE 2023 MUNICIPAL PRIMARY : 
: 
AND MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS  
: 
AND ALL FUTURE 
PENNSYLVANIA ELECTIONS 
: 
 

 

O R D E R 
 

No. 126 Misc. Dkt. No. 3 

NOW, February 2, 2023, all petitions to set aside nomination petitions/papers 

(objection petitions) of candidates seeking to be placed on the ballot(s) for the May 

16,  2023  Municipal  Primary  Election  and/or  the  November  7,  2023  Municipal 

Election, or for any future Pennsylvania election, shall be filed in paper format or 

electronically, either by PACFile (the Pennsylvania appellate court electronic filing 

system)  or  by  email  to  CommCourtFiling@pacourts.us.    Objectors  are  strongly 

encouraged to file their objection petitions in electronic format.   

pon the filing of an objection petition, the Court shall post the petition on a 

dedicated  page  of  the  Court’s  website  at:    https://www.pacourts.us/objection-

petitions-related-court-orders-and-other-filings (webpage). 

HE POSTING OF AN OBJECTION PETITION ON THE WEBPAGE 

SHALL  CONSTITUTE  SERVICE  ON  THE  CANDIDATE  AGAINST 

WHOM  THE  OBJECTION  PETITION  HAS  BEEN  FILED.1 

  ALL 

CANDIDATES ARE UNDER A CONTINUING OBLIGATION TO CHECK 

 

1 Nothing in this Order relieves an objector of their obligation to serve the Secretary of the 
Commonwealth  as  required  by  Section  977  of  the  Pennsylvania  Election  Code,  Act  of  June  3, 
1937, P.L. 1333, as amended, 25 P.S. § 2937.   

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THE  WEBPAGE  TO  DETERMINE  IF  AN  OBJECTION  PETITION  HAS 

BEEN FILED TO THEIR NOMINATION PETITIONS/PAPERS. 

urthermore, upon the filling of an objection petition, the Court will issue a 

Scheduling and Case Management Order.  The Court shall post the Scheduling and 

Case Management Order on the webpage along with the objection petition.   

HE  POSTING  OF  A  SCHEDULING  AND  CASE  MANAGEMENT 

ORDER  ON  THE  WEBPAGE  SHALL  CONSTITUTE  SERVICE  OF  THE 

ORDER  ON  THE  OBJECTOR  AND  CANDIDATE.    ALL  PARTIES  ARE 

UNDER A CONTINUING OBLIGATION TO CHECK THE WEBPAGE TO 

CONFIRM  WHETHER  A  SCHEDULING  AND  CASE  MANAGEMENT 

ORDER  HAS  BEEN  ISSUED  WITH  RESPECT  TO  ANY  OBJECTION 

PETITION. 

  A  COPY  OF  A  SAMPLE  SCHEDULING  AND  CASE 

MANAGEMENT ORDER IS ATTACHED. 

s  a  general  matter,  counsel  should  be  prepared  to  expeditiously  review 

contested signature lines and enter into appropriate stipulations prior to any court 

hearings on objection petitions.    

hen individual elector signatures are challenged, the objection petition must 

be accompanied by a spreadsheet as specified below.  The objection petition and 

spreadsheet shall satisfy the following requirements: 

1. 

The objection petition shall specify objections to individual signature 

lines in the nomination petition/paper, and these shall be set forth in an EXCEL® or 

other similar spreadsheet format.  Objector may use the downloadable spreadsheet 

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provided on the Court’s website at:  http://www.pacourts.us/courts/commonwealth-

Spreadsheet columns shall include, for each challenged signature line 

on the nomination petition/paper:  page number, line number, county, and the reason 

or  reasons  for  each  challenge.    The  spreadsheet  shall  designate  the  grounds  for 

objection using the following abbreviations (challenge codes key): 

NR –   

Not Registered 

NRA –  

Not Registered at Address 

NRD –  

Not Registered in District 

NRDS –   Not Registered on Date Signed 

OC –   

ILL –   

Out of County 

Illegible 

LIO –  

Line Information Omitted 

DUP –  

Duplicate 

IHA –  

Line Information in Hand of Another 

N/I –   

PRI –   

Nickname/Initial 

Printed Signature 

Other –  

Any ground for objection not listed above 

The  objection  petition  shall  state  the  number  of  signature  lines 

challenged, as well as the total number of completed signature lines on the face of 

the nomination petition/paper.   

Any other objection, e.g., to circulator statements, candidate affidavits, 

etc., must be separately stated in the objection petition. 

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5. 

For an objection petition filed in paper format: 

a. 

Objector  shall  attach  to  the  objection  petition  as  an  exhibit  a 

printed copy of the spreadsheet printed on 8½ x 14-inch paper, with all grid lines 

showing and column headings appearing on each printed sheet, and a printed copy 

of the challenge codes key. 

b. 

Objector  shall  file  an  original  and  one  copy  of  the  objection 

petition and spreadsheet. 

Objector  shall  file  two  separate  USB  flash  drives,  each 

containing an electronic version of the spreadsheet and the challenge codes key.  The 

electronic versions of the spreadsheet on the USB flash drives must be enabled for 

editing by the Court, and may not be read-only or password protected.   

. 

For an objection petition filed electronically: 

a. 

Along with the electronically filed objection petition, Objector 

shall file as an exhibit an electronic (PDF) version of the spreadsheet with all grid 

lines  showing  and  column  headings  appearing  on  each  sheet,  and  an  electronic 

(PDF) version of the challenge codes key. 

.  Within two days of filing the objection petition and spreadsheet, 

Objector  shall  submit  to  the  Court  two  paper  copies  of  the  electronically  filed 

objection petition and spreadsheet  and  two USB flash drives, each containing an 

electronic version of the spreadsheet and the challenge codes key.  The electronic 

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c. 

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versions of the spreadsheet on the USB flash drives must be enabled for editing by 

the Court, and may not be read-only or password protected. 

The Prothonotary is hereby directed to send a copy of this Order to: 

The Court Administrator of Pennsylvania, who shall post this Order on 

the Court’s website at http://www.pacourts.us/courts/commonwealth-court/; and  

The  Secretary  of  the  Commonwealth,  who  shall  (1)  post  this  Order 

conspicuously in the Bureau of Commissions, Elections and Legislation and in such 

other  manner  as  the  Secretary  deems  appropriate;  and  (2)  provide  a  copy  of  this 

Order  to  each  state  level  candidate  (or  the  candidate’s  representative)  who  files 

nomination petitions/papers seeking to be placed on the ballot for any Pennsylvania 

election. 

This Notice and Order shall remain in effect until further Order of the Court. 

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                     BY THE COURT: 

 

 
 

 

 
 

 
 

__________________________________________ 
RENÉE COHN JUBELIRER, President Judge 

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IN THE COMMONWEALTH COURT OF PENNSYLVANIA 

 

 

N RE: 
: 
NOMINATION PETITIONS/PAPERS  : 
OF ___________________________ 

 

 

:      

No.  * 

     SCHEDULING and CASE MANAGEMENT ORDER 
 

PER CURIAM                  

NOW,  _________,  upon  consideration  of  the  Petition  to  Set  Aside 

Nomination Petitions/Papers (Objection Petition): 

 

1.   IT IS HEREBY ORDERED: 

 
A.  Hearing  on 

is 

scheduled 

the  Objection  Petition 

for 
________________________________________,  in  Courtroom  Number  ______, 
_______________________________________________________,  Pennsylvania.  
Objector  is  directed  to  secure  the  services  of  a  court  stenographer  for  the  hearing.  
Failure of Objector to secure the services of a court stenographer may result in the 
dismissal of this matter. 
 
 
B. 

If signature lines are challenged, Objector shall secure, by request 
or subpoena, the presence of a Statewide Uniform Registry of Electors (SURE) 
system operator at the hearing. 

 

C. 

Service of the Objection Petition on Candidate, and of this Order 
on all parties is complete upon the posting of the Objection Petition and this Order on 
the  Pennsylvania  Unified  Judicial  System  website  in  accordance  with  this  Court’s 
Notice  and  Order  in  In  re  Objections  to  Nomination  Petitions/Papers  in  the  2023 

 

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unicipal Primary and Municipal Elections and All Future Pennsylvania Elections 

(Pa. Cmwlth., No. 126 Misc. Dkt. No. 3).   

D.  At the hearing, Objector shall offer proof of timely service of the 

Objection Petition on the Secretary of the Commonwealth.   

2. 

It is FURTHER ORDERED that the parties shall make a good 

faith effort to comply with the following in advance of the hearing:  
  
 
A.  Objector shall file a list of all witnesses to be called at the hearing 
 
and the curriculum vitae and expert report for each expert witness.  Any witness not 
identified may be precluded from testifying except for good cause shown. 

B. 

Candidate shall file a list of all witnesses to be called at the hearing 
and the curriculum vitae and expert report for each expert witness.  Any witness not 
identified may be precluded from testifying except for good cause shown. 

 3. 

If  signature  line  challenges  are  at  issue,  it  is  FURTHER 
ORDERED  that  the  parties  shall  make  a  good  faith  effort  to  comply  with  the 
following in advance of the hearing: 

A.  Objector  and  Candidate  or  Candidate’s  representative  and,  if 
appropriate, a SURE system operator, shall meet to review each and every challenged 
signature line. 
 
 
identifies: 

 
B.  Objector and Candidate shall file a stipulation of the parties that 

 

(a)  

the total number of completed signature lines 
submitted; 

 

   

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(b) 

(c)  

 
(d)  

(e)  

the  total  number  of  uncontested  signature 
lines submitted; 

total  number  of 

signature 

lines 

the 
challenged; 

each and every signature line to which there 
is  an  objection,  identified  by  page  number 
and  line  number,  and  the  basis  for  the 
objection; 

each and every signature line to be stricken as 
invalid  or  for  which  an  objection  is  to  be 
withdrawn,  identified  by  page  number  and 
line number,  if  the parties can  reach  such  a 
stipulation. 

  

  

 
 

  

 
C. 

 

 
Candidate shall file a list of all signature lines, identified by page 
number  and  line  number,  that  are  facially  defective  and  that  Candidate  intends  to 
rehabilitate.    Candidate  shall  also  state  the  manner  in  which  Candidate  intends  to 
rehabilitate the signature lines. 
 

4.  Objector  and Candidate  may each file a memorandum of law in 
support of their respective positions.  No further memoranda will be permitted unless 
ordered by the Court. 
 

5.  Unless otherwise ordered, the parties shall make a good faith effort 
to file all items required or permitted by paragraphs 2, 3 and 4 of this Order no later 
than 24 hours in advance of the hearing.  Filing may be accomplished by PACFile (the 
Pennsylvania  appellate  court  electronic 
to 
CommCourtFiling@pacourts.us.    Parties may  not  file by facsimile without express 
prior permission from the Court. 
 

filing  system)  or  by  email 

 

6. 

Failure to comply with any provision of this Order may preclude 
the noncompliant party from entering any evidence, and may result in the imposition 
of monetary sanctions.