ATLANTA --- Georgia's secretary of state disqualified three Democratic candidates from running for office, forcing a round of last-minute legal maneuvering hours before voters were to cast their ballots in the state's primary.
Karen Handel said Monday that Democrats Jim Powell, Erik Underwood and Keith Gross don't meet residency requirements for the districts they seek to represent. She said notices will be placed at polling places and all votes cast for the candidates will be void.
Her decision to boot Mr. Gross leaves Democrats without a candidate in a left-leaning Atlanta House district now represented by a Republican who switched parties two years ago. It also triggered a legal battle involving Mr. Powell, a candidate for the Public Service Commission's 4th district.
A Fulton County judge ruled Monday that Mr. Powell's name could remain on the ballot in the contest against fellow Democrat Bob Indech, but the votes will only count if he wins an appeal.
The disqualifications earned admonitions from the candidates and from Democratic Party leaders. Party spokesman Martin Matheny called it "extremely suspect" and Mr. Powell questioned whether Ms. Handel, a Republican, was playing politics
Matt Carrothers, a Handel spokesman, said Monday that politics was "absolutely not involved" in the decisions. He said the candidates were notified Friday of the ruling, which was not made public until Monday.
The decision to oust Mr. Gross affirmed an administrative judge's ruling that he didn't meet residency requirements to challenge state Rep. Mike Jacobs, who switched parties after winning re-election as a Democrat in 2006.
Ms. Handel also booted Mr. Underwood, a Republican-turned-Democrat who was attempting to unseat state Sen. Nan Orrock. Ms. Handel said Mr. Underwood does not own property, pay rent or receive mail in the district, and hearing notices sent to the address he provided were returned undeliverable.
LOW EXPECTATIONS
ATLANTA --- While interest in the presidential race this year has been high, the Georgia contests haven't sparked much passion.
Turnout today is expected to be low. Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel predicted that less 35 percent of the state's 4.7 million active registered voters will cast a ballot.
Still, early voting totals this year have surpassed those in the 2006 primary, when turnout was a measly 22 percent.
-- Associated Press
Comments
Democrats fiaoing to meet proper LEGAL requirements (i.e. Fraud) for elected office...WOW WHO WOULDA THUNK IT> (LOL)?
When things like disqualifying candidates happen, the main question is usually the timing of the disqualification. I don't know whether Handel is playing politics but I'd like to know how much time elasped from when the candidates submitted their names to be placed on the ballot and when Handel disqualified them. I'd also like to know what the Democratic Party leaders were doing when they allowed these candidates to be placed on the ballot when their residency requirements would come into question. End result is that there will be confusion at the polls.
another republican dirty trick.remember florida in 2000.
Erik Underwood? I assume the same guy that ran last year for Charlie Norwood's seat as republican. Nice guy, but why do people switch party affiliations, unless they are simply looking for a paycheck????????
The main reason that the disqualifications come so late is because there is no provision in the law to force the Secretary of State to verify residency in the district soon after filing. The presumption is that the person tells the truth on their filing application. Only when a citizen files a written COMPLAINT is an investigation done. It takes a LO-O-O-ONG time to resolve a complaint through the courts. It would take a new law to make things happen faster.
Do you remember when Keith Brown was Augusta Commissioner and his fellow commissioners knew he did not live in the district but did nothing about it. It took a COMPLAINT from Alvin Mason to make things happen.
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