Posted on 11/10/2006 9:23:58 PM PST by teacherwoes
Almost a month after Sam Duncan died, Democratic Party newspaper ads were endorsing his candidacy for Union County's Soil and Water Conservation board.
The county Elections Board had known of Duncan's death for weeks.
But nobody told the voters.
Duncan's name was on the ballot Tuesday, and more than 12,000 people voted for him. He was top vote-getter in the contest for two seats on the low-profile board. He edged out the sitting chairman, Warren Case, who had served for about a dozen years.
Shirley Secrest, elections director, said her office has no obligation to inform the public of a candidate's death.
"We are instructed that it's not our job to do that," she said.
Judging from the results, voters didn't get word on their own. The relative obscurity of the nonpartisan position compounded the problem -- few people know what a Soil and Water Conservation district supervisor does.
And just as the ballots are pre-printed without time to make sure all candidates are living, so was other elections material. The Democratic Party ran newspaper endorsement ads promoting Duncan as late as Sunday; members passed out literature including his name at the polls.
Even people well-versed in county politics were unaware of Duncan's death. Former Sheriff Frank McGuirt voted for him. He only learned of his funeral while watching the returns.
"I was shocked to know that poor Sam was gone," McGuirt said. "I guess I had just missed that obituary."
Rick Alexander, a school board candidate, said he knew when he voted that a candidate had died, but he didn't know which one. So he asked a poll worker, who asked other poll workers.
"Nobody in there knew," Alexander said.
Harry Crow, head of Union's Democratic Party, said that when his party placed the ads, he didn't know Duncan had died. Two ads placed in the Neighbors of Union County section were ordered Oct. 26 and Oct. 30, about three weeks after Duncan's death.
Democratic endorsement fliers passed out on Election Day also included Duncan's name. They were premade, Crow said.
"They had been printed up, too, before he had passed away," Crow said.
When Crow handed out the fliers at the polls, he knew Duncan had died, but he didn't tell voters. Crow said there wasn't time.
"About all the time you have is to give them that guide," he said. "A lot of people don't want to particularly engage you in conversation."
Duncan's seat will be filled by appointment, said Lynn Sprague of the state Division of Soil and Water Conservation. The three people on the board who were not involved in the election -- all the living members except the chairman, who was a candidate -- will pick a replacement, he said.
I still say the REAL test will be: Can he get RE-ELECTED in two years?
I use that excuse at least 4 times a day, and I don't even work for the government.
I still say the REAL test will be: Can he get RE-ELECTED in two years?
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If the libs thought they could get away with it, they would -- they are that filthy. LMFAO. :-)
Only if this was in Chicago.
Maybe they were trying to attract the cemetary vote.
What the heck, they have the dead vote, why not have them serve in office :)
I would say that we need to get some dead folks on the county elections board...sounds to me like there isn't much work to do and just one live guy on the board would be adequate.
When you live in a coutry where registered dead folks are still allowed to vote (and do vote)...where dead candidates are actively carried on the ballot...then there is something wrong here. Its pitiful that we have to stand there and take it.
ping
Did anyone ask Sam if he wanted to run???
Jimmie Hoffa could.
Democrats love dead people, electing them and having them vote.
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