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Saturday, August 02, 2008

Ind. Courts - Both Clark County judicial nominees certifed by State Election Board

The ballot dispute in Clark County appeals to be resolved. See the most recent earlier ILB entry here, from Aug. 30th.

Dann A. Mann of the Jeffersonville News & Tribune reported last evening:

Both candidates for Clark County’s Circuit Court Judge seat will be on the ballot this November, following a pair of votes by the Indiana Election Commission on Friday.

After an hour-long hearing in Indianapolis, the commission voted 4-0 to throw out a challenge to the candidacy of Republican Abe Navarro, which had been made by Democrats. It then voted 4-0 to allow Democrat candidate Dan Moore on the ballot, despite technical errors.

Lesley Stedman Weidenbener of the Louisville Courier Journal reports today:
The Indiana Election Commission decided yesterday to put the Republican and Democratic candidates for Clark Circuit judge on the Nov. 4 ballot.
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In a unanimous ruling that can be appealed, commission members said the parties and candidates -- Republican Abe Navarro and Democrat Dan Moore -- made errors in filing papers with the Indiana Election Division that could have resulted in neither being certified.

But they also acknowledged that the election laws and rules were confusing.

"We want to err on the side of putting people on the ballot so voters get to make the decision," said Sarah Steele Riordan, a Republican on the four-member panel.

The ruling ended a sometimes bewildering discussion in which attorneys for the candidates attempted to show how their side met the various filing and other requirements and their opponents did not.

In the end, however, commission members seemed less concerned with the technicalities than the potential impact of having no candidate running for the office, which was vacated in May when Judge Daniel Donahue retired.

Gov. Mitch Daniels appointed Navarro to serve through the end of the year.

After yesterday's meeting, commission Chairman Tom Wheeler said the General Assembly and the courts have directed the panel to read the laws "liberally to give the people the ability to make decisions on these candidates." * * *

The commission, which also is split with two Republicans and two Democrats, appeared frustrated by the arguments and united in finding a bipartisan compromise. Wheeler said a 2-2 vote would likely have left neither candidate on the ballot.

"From my standpoint, that is a bad result," Wheeler told the candidates and their attorneys. "That forces you into litigation."

Moore said he has no interest in taking the commission's ruling to court. But Buskill said Republicans will have to decide "if it's worth doing anything. … We'll look at our options."

Posted by Marcia Oddi on August 2, 2008 09:11 AM
Posted to Indiana Courts