Policitian Suing Over Hyphen

Ananova ^ | 14 August 2002

[JediGirl]

A candidate in a Florida election says he's suing a rival for allegedly gaining an unfair advantage by adding a hyphen to her surname.

Patrick Feheley claims Candice Brown-McElyea added the hyphen so she'd be at the top of the ballot paper.

He would be pushed into second place on the paper which lists candidates in alphabetical order by last name. He's followed by Charles McKenzie and Jan Schneider.

They are all Democrats contesting an open seat.

Brown-McElyea says Brown is part of her last name, not her middle name, and the lawsuit is frivolous.

If a judge rules in Feheley's favour, election officials could be forced to reprint the ballot papers before the election on September 10. Bob Sweat, Manatee County supervisor of elections, estimates the cost would be $29,000, the equivalent of £18,867.

The suit is expected to be entered in Leon County Circuit Court today, reports the Bradenton Herald.

Feheley contends the appearance of Brown-McElyea at the top of the ballot paper gives her an edge.

His suit seeks a determination "whether a candidate for elective office may for the purpose of gaining a preferable ballot position change their surname after having qualified as a candidate".

Brown-McElyea said: "Not only is this a frivolous lawsuit, but we see it as malicious. There's no statute, no law, that says I did anything wrong. You can be anything you want on the ballot."

[wimpycat]

ROFL! Those Florida Democrats never disappoint when it comes to entertainment value, do they?

[B Knotts]

He should just change his name to Patrick AA-Anderson.

[hellinahandcart]

Doesn't everyone vote for the name at the top of the ballot, no matter who it is?

[hellinahandcart]

He could change just one letter, make himself "Behely", and still beat her.

[Billthedrill]

...meanwhile, in other news, Algore's campaign is suing George W-Bush for putting a period and a space after the "W," thereby confusing Florida voters...

[thegreatbeast]

Go ahead, you cynics, laugh! But the truth is that this will make a difference. In a close race, it could be the winning difference.
What's the matter with voting for the top name anyway?

[Guillermo]

One can put any name they like on a ballot, if they qualify to be placed on it.

B-M will win this one.

[jz638]

I would hope that this guy's campaign strategy is a little more robust than being on the top of the ballot.

[kcpopps]

LOL!!! - my daughter met Brown-McElyea this summer while on vacation in Florida. BM invited her to a democratic function of some sort. My daughter laughed and declined, knowing what her Dad (me) thinks of democrats...

[Consort]

I don't like hy-phens.

[grumpster-dumpster]

A candidate in a Florida election says he's suing a rival for allegedly gaining an unfair advantage by adding a hyphen to her surname.

I can only assume his main campaign theme is:
"Tort Reform!"

[Calvin Locke]

I remember a guy in England/Wales legally changed his name to some long string, like on the order of 80 characters
or more, just so the town crier (or whatever) would have to announce the guy's name for candidate for town dogcatcher.

Hyphens can be dangerous. Somebody got sued, paper or typesetting sw co., for "...Joe Blow, the-

[next page]

rapist, is a counsellor...

[TheGrimReaper]

This is good.
I hope the dims keep focusing on substantive issues like this... maybe it will keep their meddling hands away from anything of genuine importance.

[Sloth]

Doesn't everyone vote for the name at the top of the ballot, no matter who it is?

We ARE talking about Florida Democrats, here.

[hellinahandcart]

So was I, Sloth... ;D

[GraniteStateConservative]

Jan Schneider has the Clinton connection and the money edge. I think she'll come out ahead.

[mhking]

Only in Floriduh...

[MD_Willington_1976]

Now now, play nice children, or it's time out in seperate corners

[GraniteStateConservative]

They are fighting for the right to get stomped into the dirt by Katherine Harris. It doesn't matter what they talk about.