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July 3, 2008
Elections board rules against Republican candidates
Against its own lawyer’s advice, the State Board of Elections voted today that the five Republican candidates appointed to General Assembly races by state GOP chairman Giovanni Cicione were not valid because the names had been filed with the Secretary of State instead of being submitted to their boards of canvassers.
Board lawyer Raymond Marcaccio had recommended that the candidates be allowed to run and to pick up their nominating papers on grounds that the relevant statute does not specify where Cicione should have filed their names.
And, Marcaccio said, weighing that ambiguity against their First Amendment rights, the Board should err on the side of First Amendment rights; letting the candidates run.
But his proposal was rejected on a 2 to 2 vote. (A tie vote is considered a defeat.) The board then voted unanimously against the GOP’s appeal of the Secretary of State’s refusal to issue the candidates nominating papers.
Afterward, an upset Cicione said the Board’s refusal to take its own lawyer’s advice showed the system was rigged by the Democrats against Republicans.
-- Katherine Gregg, Journal State House Bureau
Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson
at 2:00 PM | Permalink
Jenn | July 3, 2008 3:36 PM link
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Joe G | July 4, 2008 7:52 AM link
Henry | July 4, 2008 8:47 AM link
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They should change the name of this state from the Ocean State to the Banana Republic. This is the same loopy logic the Dems used to justify squashing the e-Verify bill.