Blowing Cuddyer's Budget for Dummies

Election Commissioner Geraldine Cuddyer faces an expensive election to eliminate one candidate before the next City Council elections. The Election Commission is required by law to hold a primary election to winnow the field when the number of candidates is more than double the available seats. There are currently nine names to appear on the ballot for four available at-large City Council seats, the nine needs to become eight by the city's election law. Cuddyer must sanction the election unless one of the candidates pulls out by end of business (5 pm) on Tuesday evening. A primary election to reduce the field by one will cost the city at least $500,000 according to the Globe report. The few simple steps to cost the city the half-mil? Simple:

Step 1: Collect 500 certifiable signatures.
Step 2: There is no Step 2.

The last City Council election had a field of 15 candidates that was narrowed to a field of eight before the general election selected the four at-large City Council members – all of whom (Arroyo, Flaherty, Murphy, and Yoon) are running as incumbents for their seats. All nine of the possible candidates have each collected at least 500 certified signatures and will appear on a primary ballot unless there is either a challenge of the signatures upheld or one of the candidates withdraws from the running. Politicians, both elected and appointed, are in a sticky situation – while they don't want to force out a candidate and slap democracy in the face, they're still clenching their wallets and whining about spending a perfectly good $500,000 on a primary election. The election that would eliminate a single candidate, possibly one who has no campaign funds or virtually none. Matthew Geary, an undergrad at UMass Boston, heads up the "virtually none" category - he's got a cool penny in his campaign coffers. Maybe just a penny to his account, but don't dismiss yet. Geary has the power of Facebook behind him.