Political Advice Needed.....

[reduen]

We have a situation where the governor here in the state of Arkansas has declared an illegal special primary election on behalf of the Democrat party for the sheriff’s position in our county..

He is doing this because during the preferential primary there were three candidates running for this position on the democrat ticket and none of them receive a majority of the vote. Then during the general primary held for the two candidates with the most votes there was a tie...! Voter fraud was detected during the recount on at least 40 occasions last count I heard....

This tie created a vacancy for the democrat party for that position and they are now trying to fill this vacancy illegally.

Our state Republican party officials were telling us that they would do whatever it took to uphold the law in this situation but now they are saying that there is nothing that they can do.....

What can we do here? Does anybody know?

[reduen]

Maybe, legal advice would have been a better title....:rolleyes:

[acptulsa]

Well, I don't know what Arkansas law says about how a party can or can't choose its candidates. But I suspect that the only thing you can do is expose the shennanigans. Democrats don't generally seem to believe their party needs to be cleaned up. Nothing like rubbing their noses in it.

[reduen]

Here is the code that deals with this situation....

7-7-104. Vacancy in nomination — Alternative methods for filling — Tie vote.
(a) Nominees of a political party to fill a vacancy in nomination, as defined in § 7-1-101, shall be declared by:

(1) Certificate of the chair and secretary of any convention of delegates held within twenty-five (25) days of the Governor's letter certifying vacancy; or

(2) (A) A special primary election called, held, and conducted in accordance with the rules of the party.

(B) A special primary election may be called only if the special primary election can be called, held, conducted, and certified and certificates of nomination filed at least seventy (70) days before the general election.

(b) In case of a tie vote for the same office at a general primary election, a vacancy in nomination for that office shall exist.

(c) When a vacancy in nomination occurs as a result of death or when the person who received the majority of votes cast at the preferential primary election or the general primary election notifies the state committee of the political party of his or her intent to refuse nomination due to serious illness, moving out of the area from which elected as the party's nominee, or filing for another office, the state committee of the political party shall notify the Governor within five (5) days after the date of death or the date the party was notified of intent to refuse nomination as to whether the party chooses to fill the vacancy in nomination at a special election or a convention.

(d) If the party fails to notify the Governor within the five-day period, the vacancy in nomination shall not be filled nor shall the vacancy in nomination be filled if it occurred for any reason other than death, serious illness, the candidate's moving out of the area from which elected as the party's nominee, or filing for another office.

[acptulsa]

According to that, if I'm reading it right, the Republican will go unopposed this round.

[reduen]

Yes, that is clearly how it should be but the Democrat party is ignoring this law and they had the governor (who is a democrat) proclaim a special primary just for this position on the democrat side.....

[reduen]

Anyone...?