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More challenges were denied than upheld. |
Plainfield Municipal Clerk "Ajay" Jalloh ruled on challenges to candidates for the June 4 primary ballot on Wednesday (April 10).
A review of the findings and other material suggests that all the players could benefit from upping their game. Make that ALL.
WARDS 1/4 AT-LARGE
Clerk Jalloh denied city council candidate Terri Briggs-Jones' challenge to the petition of former 4th Ward Councilor Bridget Rivers.
She had asserted that several voters were not registered, and that Rivers had failed to sign all the required sections of the petition.
Jalloh ruled the voters were indeed registered and Rivers had signed everywhere required.
There is no appeal.
CITY COMMITTEE CANDIDATES
First, let's be clear: Party organizations (Democrat and Republican) are private groups, not government agencies.
Though committee members are voted on through the polls (run by the County), they are not "elected officials" in the sense of those running for public office (council, mayor, freeholder, etc.).
I will take up the challenges slate by slate.
PEOPLE FIRST DEMOCRATS
Ward 2, District 1. Candidate Brian Munroe's challenge to the petition of Chairman Mapp's candidates is DENIED due to insufficient evidence. Robert Bolmer and Clare Mendheim will appear on the ballot.
Ward 2, District 8. Candidate James Spear's challenge to the petition of Chairman Mapp's candidates Patrick Cassidy and Lisa Bullock is UPHELD due to insufficient signatures.
This petition was fraught with issues: one person was not a registered voter; two had signed petitions for two different slates; one of the candidates withdrew (in writing) six signatures; and the other candidate withdrew from the petition altogether.
This means that Spear and his running mate Farah Pidgeon will be UNOPPOSED for the seats.
REGULAR DEMOCRATIC ORGANIZATION
Chairman Mapp submitted 17 challenges. Some were upheld and some denied. I take them up one by one below.
Ward 1, District 1. Challenge DENIED, more than enough valid signatures remain after challenges. Andrea Thompson and Howard Smith will appear on the ballot.
Ward 1, District 2. Challenge UPHELD for insufficient signatures. Ashaki Graham and Rickey Williams will NOT appear on the ballot.
Ward 1, District 3. Challenge DENIED. Four challenged signors were found to be valid, two were removed. More than enough valid signatures remained. Stephanie Cox and Martin Cox WILL appear on the ballot.
Ward 1, District 4. Challenge UPHELD. Four signors were not registered voters, one lives in a different district. Petition failed for insufficient signatures. Lacy Hamilton and Alta Fowler will NOT appear on the ballot.
Ward 1, District 6. Challenge DENIED. When candidate Kasi McKoy Balmer signed the petition, she became affiliated with the Democratic party. Ms. Balmer WILL appear on the ballot.
Ward 1, District 8. Challenge UPHELD for insufficient signatures. The name of Rafael Carnegie will NOT appear on the ballot.
Ward 2, District 5. Challenge UPHELD for insufficient signatures. Carletta Jeffers and Kevin Jeffers will NOT appear on the ballot.
Ward 2, District 7. Challenge DENIED. Even if two disputed signatures were upheld, petition had enough valid signors. Tara Bellamy and Terrence Bellamy WILL appear on the ballot.
Ward 2, District 11. Challenge DENIED. One signature removed, insufficient evidence presented on the other challenged signatures. Tawannia Hawk and Devine McKoy WILL appear on the ballot.
Ward 3, District 4. Challenge UPHELD for insufficient signatures. Ellen Carter Haygood and Stanley Haygood will NOT appear on the ballot.
Ward 3, District 7. Challenge DENIED due to insufficient evidence regarding challenged signatures. Monesha Greer and Richard Wyatt WILL appear on the ballot.
Ward 3, District 8. Challenge DENIED due to insufficient evidence regarding challenged signatures. Karl Deane WILL appear on the ballot.
Ward 3, District 9. Challenge UPHELD due to insufficient signatures. Dematra Wallace and Frank Tidwell will NOT appear on the ballot.
Ward 3, District 10. Challenge DENIED. Even with seven (7) signatures stricken, the petition contains enough signors. Objections based on invalid signatures was denied for insufficient evidence. Belinda Kimbrough and Wendell Wheeler WILL appear on the ballot.
Ward 4, District 1. Challenge UPHELD. Three signatures were removed; the petition thus failed for insufficient signatures. Terri Briggs-Jones and Kyle Jones will NOT appear on the City Committee ballot.
Ward 4, District 2. Challenge DENIED. One signature was stricken; insufficient evidence presented on challenged signatures. Petition exceeded the threshold of valid signatures. Claudette Lovely Brown and Jerome Bailey WILL appear on the ballot.
Ward 4, District 3. Challenge UPHELD. Candidate Jacqulin Simon is registered in a different district; her petition is facially invalid. One signor is not a registered voter; a second is registered in a different district. The petition fails for insufficient signatures. Jacqulin Simon and Gary Hawkins will NOT appear on the ballot.
Ward 4, District 4. Challenge UPHELD for insufficient signatures. Harold Mitchell will NOT appear on the ballot.
Nine of Chairman Mapp's challenges were denied; eight upheld.
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE NUMBERS OF SIGNATURES
Philadelphia attorney Nixon Kannah wrote to Clerk Jalloh objecting to the number of signatures required on petitions filed by the Democrats United for Progress slate.
Attachments to his letter showed that the Clerk's office emailed the INCORRECT table of required signatures per district to "macampbell4homes@gmail.com" who evidently distributed the incorrect information to candidates on that slate.
Plainly stated, this is a hot mess.
1. The Clerk's office goofed -- big time. Not only was the wrong form sent; the correct one was never sent subsequently. Does that mean that no one recognized the error until the petitions were turned in?
2. Even though incorrect, the form clearly states at the top "For 2016 and 2017 Elections". Shouldn't the candidates have read and questioned that?
3. The question also arises, since it was only the People First and Democrats United slates that were challenged for insufficient signatures (Munroe and Spear challenges were different matter), whether the Mapp slate all along had the correct sheet showing the necessary number of signatures required.
To be short on valid signatures is inexcusable. Experienced circulators (which we as New Democrats had become) know better than to trust a signor's word on whether or not they are registered as a voter, as a Democrat, or live in the subject district.
New Democrats used the readily available current voter list to check all signatures and addresses for validity. Circulators were always urged to get at least 150% of the required number -- just to avoid be taken down by such challenges.
Corporation Counsel Minchello responded to Kannah with a letter stating that the Clerk has no statutory authority to waive the required number of signatures.
We'll see if the Democrats United go to court. With all the evidence in hand, a judge just might side with them -- in which case a number of Chairman Mapp's victories would be scrubbed.
Stay tuned.
-- Dan Damon [follow]
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