Uber-reporter/newsman Stan Zimmerman commented on yesterday’s blog that in fact, another Sarasota County Commission hopeful — Nora Patterson –(Republican) had also foregone the pay-for-placement-on-the-ballot route and qualified to be on the ballot already by obtaining official petitions from registered Sarasota County voters.
Apparently, Patterson announced the qualification via a media release on April 22 — I just don’t recall seeing it in any news reports, guess I missed it. 
Maybe even more commissioner-hopefuls both city and county follow this route to get their names on the ballot. I think I’ll pay more attention to this in the future. If anyone knows who’s doing what in how to get on the ballots, post a comment here.
Kudos to Patterson for achieving the necessary signatures so soon and thanks to Stan the Man for letting me know that Mark Smith isn’t/wasn’t the only Commission hopeful using this smart and cost-saving and more egalitarian (it seems) mechanism to get on the ballots.