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Media Advisory ***MEDIA ADVISORY*** Hearings Scheduled for Candidate Petition
Challenges AUGUSTA--On Friday, March 29, 2002, the Office of the Secretary of State will hold public hearings on challenges it received regarding the validity of candidate petitions filed for the Republican primaries. The hearings will determine if Republican primary candidate petitions filed by Steven Veit for Senate District 7 and Matthew S. Allen for House District 123 are invalid due to technical defects in the petition process or have insufficient valid signatures to allow their names to be placed on primary ballots. The hearing schedule will proceed as follows: Senate District 7 Steven Veit 9:00 a.m. At the public hearing each challenger will have to provide evidence and witnesses that support their claim that the petition is invalid due to technical defects in the petition process or does not contain the minimum signatures required by state law in order to appear on the primary ballot. Each candidate will have an opportunity to provide any evidence and witnesses that support the nominating petition they have filed. The hearings officer will determine, upon examination of all of the evidence, if the petitions meet the requirements of state law and provide a recommended decision to the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State's Office also received challenges on Democratic primary candidate petitions filed by Jayson E. Allain for House District 9, David McKechnie for House District 11, Annie F. Switser for House District 64, Idella M. Harter for House District 72 and Julie A. Logan for House District 107. These candidates provided written notice to the Secretary of State that they would not contest the challenges, and the petitions will be invalidated without hearing. State law allows a political party to fill a vacancy by political committee when a candidate dies, withdraws (at least 60 days before the primary), or becomes disqualified after having filed a nomination petition. This provision only applies when a party does not have any candidate for the position after the vacancy occurs. |