Special election moved to mid-September

Special election moved to mid-September

Posted

CANTON — Do-overs in Democrat Party primary races for three wards here are tentatively scheduled for as soon as mid-September, an attorney representing the Canton Municipal Election Committee said.

Voters here had been scheduled to go to the polls as early as Aug. 17 for a redo of party primary elections in Wards 2 and 5 but the redo elections were pushed back after a Democratic Party primary election redo was ordered late last month for Ward 1, said John Martin, the Canton Municipal Election Committee’s attorney.

Special Judge Jeff Weill Sr. on June 30 vacated the results of Canton’s April 6 Democratic Party primary races in Ward 2 and Ward 5 and ordered redos in those elections as soon as Aug. 17, saying the primary results could not be ascertained. Then, in a separate ruling late last month, Weill also ordered a redo in the city’s Ward 1 Democratic Party primary, Martin said.

“There was a trial last week in the Ward 1 election contest, and he did rule that that race would also go to a special election,” Martin said Friday. “I don’t believe there has been an opinion or order to that effect yet.”

Weill’s decisions came after three incumbent Democratic aldermen — Ward 1 Alderman Rodriquez Brown, Ward 2 Alderman Fred Esco Jr. and Ward 5 Alderman Tim C. Taylor — filed lawsuits challenging the process by which candidates were placed on the city’s Democratic Party primary ballots saying the process was flawed because of two Canton Democratic Municipal Executive Committees that are mired in ongoing court battles.

The Canton Municipal Election Committee was working to hold the special election for Wards 2 and 5 as soon Aug. 17 until Weill ordered a redo in the Ward 1 race late last month.

Martin said that even though Weill has not yet issued a written order, he believes the goal is to schedule all of the redo elections on the same date.

“The redo, or special election, has been ordered,” Martin said. “He made a ruling from the bench but he has not ordered an opinion. I am anticipating that that should be entered soon, but I haven’t seen it yet. There will be three special elections for Wards 1, 2 and 5 and I could not tell you the date at this point.”

Martin said he believes the target date for the election is mid-September.






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