***EXCLUSIVE***
Politics 101, Rule #1 for Candidates: Make sure you qualify for the ballot.
If you don’t follow Rule #1, everything else is moot. Forget about passing Go and collecting $200 — you don’t get to start. Heck, you don’t even get to roll the dice to decide who starts.
It would be somewhat understandable if a newbie candidate with dreams, high hopes, great plans and maybe even a ton of raised cash makes the mistake of not following Rule #1, while focused too much on the other rules, none of which are as determinant as the first. But, a political veteran? An incumbent? And, one seated on a high-profile, polarized, and often contentious school board, with possible 3-2 votes in the balance, potentially including even the tenure of the superintendant? What are the chances?
Sorry to back into this, but the tone is essential…
In a campaign shocker, incumbent San Diego Unified School District Trustee Luis Acle has failed to qualify for the ballot. He didn’t turn in enough valid signatures, forcing himself into lame duck status and retirement at the end of the year According to the Registrar of Voters, Acle turned in 310 signatures, yet only 127 were validated as registered voters in District D. He needed 200.
Acle, a Republican, was to face Democrat Richard Barrera, a regional organizer with United Healthcare Workers (see yesterday’s UT story). Yet, with the incumbent now out, five additional days are allowed for other candidates to get their paperwork filed. Watch for someone in the GOP to jump at the chance by next Wednesday at 5 p.m.
Four years ago, Acle was in the same boat, having turned in only about 170 signatures, but he went to court and received a favorable ruling based on "substantial compliance." Looking at current case law, legal folks say the prospects for a similar scenario this time our slim. Uhhh, and a rule is a rule, or so I once thought.
Many will question whether Acle’s heart was in his re-election, given recent significant problems with the San Diego Ethics Commission. I’ll try to pin that down.
In the meantime, new game on.
March 9th, 2008 at 12:00 am
The U-T up with the story:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20080309-1357-bn09acle.html
March 9th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Professor Jantz:
For the benefit of political newcomers… all county Registrar of Voters’ offices
have one or more, “public access” computer terminals that allow citizens to
look at the local voter file.
When it is time to file a nominating petition, it is vital to take them to your
Registrar’s office a few days prior to the deadline and (before submitting
them) check to see which signatures are from eligible voters, and which
ones are not.
If you are short a few names, you just go out and get another few dozen,
and THEN turn them all in to the Registrar of Voters.
I have done this for candidates from City Council to U.S. Congress, and
everyone sleeps much better KNOWING with certainty that the candidate
will make the ballot.
“Professor” Sills
March 9th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Thanks, Jim, an essential point. Leave nothing to chance. Acle could have used you.
Additionally, the other local filing officers — meaning the city clerks in city races — will often validate the signatures early if you work with them to get the nomination forms to them a couple of days in advance of deadline, prior to your actual filing. If you don’t have enough, you get some more.