Election law practitioners say a new procedure for filing objections to signatures on candidates’ nominating papers will streamline a process that has been a cause of confusion for the courts and skyrocketing costs for litigants.

In a notice to the election bar July 30, the Commonwealth Court outlined an option for litigants challenging the nomination papers of national and statewide candidates to file their objections in an electronic format as well as the usual paper copies.

The order, signed by President Judge Bonnie Brigance Leadbetter, discusses the requirement under Pennsylvania law for any candidate for statewide or national office to collect a number of signatures equal to 2 percent of the largest vote case in the most recent election for statewide or national offices.

“In 2008, the required number of valid signatures amounts to 24,665,” the notice says. “Because of the logistics inherent in resolving challenges to such a large number of signatures, objections filed to nomination papers for statewide or national office must be filed in a manner that is readily accessible and flexible for use by the Court and the parties.”

Attorneys who choose to file objections electronically must submit a disk with a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet containing information pertaining to each signature. The spreadsheet template may be downloaded from the court’s Web site.

The order also provides a list of codes abbreviating the specific reason for the objections, such as “NR,” for not registered, and “FOR,” for forgery.

Members of the election bar said the option to file objections electronically will provide a sorely needed method to allow attorneys on both sides of a challenge to communicate effectively.