BUTLER TWP — Election Day may be the culmination of a lot of hard work, but it’s the unglamorous stuff — like qualifying to get on the ballot — that underpins political campaigns.

On Saturday, the Butler County Republican Committee hosted a breakfast at the Lyndora American Legion Post 778 to get county Republicans to sign petitions for a variety of GOP candidates who are looking to run in the April 26 primary.

County GOP committee Chairman Ed Natali said people at the event were collecting signatures for GOP candidates for all 10 seats in the Legislature that are being contested this year.

Other races that will appear on the primary ballot include certain state row offices — attorney general, auditor general and state treasurer — one Pennsylvania seat in the U.S. Senate, currently occupied by Republican Pat Toomey; the state’s 3rd Congressional District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, currently held by Republican Mike Kelly of Butler; as well as local GOP committee members.

Additionally, volunteers for a few presidential campaigns — including Jeb Bush, Donald Trump and Ted Cruz — were collecting signatures.

“It’s a key day. We need to get signatures and get people on the ballot,” Natali said.

Republican candidates need the signatures of Republicans who are registered to vote, and Democrats need signatures of Democrats who are registered to vote.

Presidential candidates need to turn in 2,000 signatures from the state to make it on the ballot here. For U.S. senator 2,000 signatures are required, and 1,000 are required for U.S. representative. For state row officers, 1,000 are needed, with an additional requirement to get at least 100 signatures from five counties. State senators need 500 signatures and state representatives need 300.

Candidates could start circulating petitions last Tuesday, and the deadline to turn them in is Feb. 16.

In an event like this, he said it is easy to get a lot of signatures for candidates. Getting more signatures than required is a good thing, since it makes the signatures harder to challenge in court and it sends a message, Natali said.

He said events like this are a good opportunity for residents to get more face time with candidates. When going door-to-door for signatures, he said the interactions are brief. Here, people and candidates can have longer conversations. Several GOP candidates for office were at the event, including Kelly.

“I think it’s a win-win across the board,” Natali said.

Melissa Allen of Worth Township, whose father is involved in the county GOP committee, said she was happy to sign petitions for candidates.

“I think it’s important. This whole election process, I think it’s an American duty to be involved,” Allen said.

She said events like these are great ways to meet candidates in an informal setting. As a parent, she said these events help children understand the political process.

“It’s important to learn where the candidates stand,” Allen said.

As far as presidential candidates, she said she still is undecided. Locally, she is a fan of her state representative, Rep. Tedd Nesbit, R-8th, of Grove City.

David O’Planick of Connoquenessing said this was his first time signing petitions in an event like this.

“I’m just kind of ... new to it,” O’Planick said.

“I’m still trying to sort these things out in the presidential race,” O’Planick said.

His wife, Stephanie O’Planick, said she is favoring Ted Cruz for president, at least right now.

“I’m kind of fluctuating,” she said.

Bob Rankin of Butler Township said he came to the event to talk with a few of the candidates that he knew. He said the collection of signatures is very important, and he said it is important to promote candidates and be informed when voting.

He said he commends anyone who decides to run for office.

“That is a huge, huge, huge responsibility,” Rankin said.