Friday, April 16, 2021
Subscriber Login
SpotlightNews
  • Home
  • News
    • Business
      • Spotlight On Business
      • Spotlight on Finance
    • Community
    • Covid-19 Updates
    • Crime
    • Environment
    • Government
    • Milestones
    • Obituaries
  • Sports
  • The Spot 518
  • Hot Spots Calendar
    • Calendar Listings
    • Submit Your Event
  • Opinion
    • Blogs
    • Our Opinion
    • Point of View
    • Your Opinion
  • Family Now
  • Classifieds
    • Classified Listings
    • Advertiser Login
  • Subscribe
    • Subscriber login
    • Give the gift of news
    • Join us – subscribe today
    • Renew subscription
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • Business
      • Spotlight On Business
      • Spotlight on Finance
    • Community
    • Covid-19 Updates
    • Crime
    • Environment
    • Government
    • Milestones
    • Obituaries
  • Sports
  • The Spot 518
  • Hot Spots Calendar
    • Calendar Listings
    • Submit Your Event
  • Opinion
    • Blogs
    • Our Opinion
    • Point of View
    • Your Opinion
  • Family Now
  • Classifieds
    • Classified Listings
    • Advertiser Login
  • Subscribe
    • Subscriber login
    • Give the gift of news
    • Join us – subscribe today
    • Renew subscription
No Result
View All Result
Spotlight News
No Result
View All Result
Home News

GOP questions WFP signatures

Jim Franco by Jim Franco
April 7, 2021
in News
0
GOP questions WFP signatures

The authorization signatures on the WFP designating petitions

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Working Families Party designating petitions across the state appear headed to court after Republicans spotted an irregularity in the witness signatures of the presiding officer and secretary.

According to Albany County Republican Board of Elections Commissioner Rachel Bledi, the signatures by presiding officer and secretary are either a stamp or a cut and paste which violates state Election Law. In addition, she said, they are photocopies rather than originals.

“The whole point is the notary is supposed to watch you sign the document so no two signatures should look exactly the same and have a box around it,” she said.  “It opens the door to questions regarding fraud. There is no way to validate a certificate based on a photo copy.”

She provided the designating petition documents for Dutchess, Green and Albany counties and the signatures of Jonathan Westin as WFP presiding officer and Daniel Langenbucher as secretary are exactly the same and all three include the same exact black box around each of the signatures indicating it is a stamp or a photo copy.

Anita Thayer, the secretary for the Capital District WFP, said the signatures were not photocopied or stamped but scanned which is allowed under the current Election Law as modified by the state during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our WFP authorizations (ie permission for our candidates that are not WFP registrants to run on the WFP ballot line) were filed in accordance with current Election Law, regulations, and the governor’s executive orders,” she said, “We anticipate that county BOEs will uphold the law and accept our authorizations regardless of Republican talking points.”

It is unclear how many candidates the court action will include but in Albany County there are candidates running with the WFP line in Colonie, Bethlehem, New Scotland, Guilderland, the City of Albany and in most municipalities outside of villages. If the signature sheets in other counties are the same as those supplied by Bledi, it could be impact hundreds of races across the state.

New York is one of a handful of states that still allows minor parties to endorse major party candidates. The Working Families Party generally endorses Democrats while the Conservative Party endorses Republicans. They are the last two minor party lines that got enough votes to gain automatic ballot status in this November’s general election.

The process, generally, is candidates get a required number of petitions from voters enrolled in the respective party and then the party officials sign off on the petitions, granting permission for the candidate to run on the party’s line.

Rules were changed this year regarding the number of signatures and even the process of validating them. But Bledi said while the state did allow a notary public to witness the signature via zoom or other video conferencing platform, it still requires an actual signature rather than a stamp and it requires the actual signature is handed into the Board of Elections and not a photocopy or facsimile thereof.

She said there is precedent based on a New Scotland case where an enrolled Conservative Party member attempted to file paperwork by fax to run as a Republican. In the end, the Court of Appeals, the state’s highest court, ruled the Albany County BOE could not accept paperwork by fax but instead had to have the original documents.

The first court case could come as soon as the middle of this week, Bledi said.

Share this to twitter or facebook:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
Tags: Rachel BlediRepublican PartyWorking Families Party
Previous Post

After delay, state installs murals recognizing Native Americans on Exit 3 flyover ramp

Next Post

Pauly’s Hotel is anxiously awaiting to meet its full potential after pandemic restrictions

Next Post
Pauly’s Hotel is anxiously awaiting to meet its full potential after pandemic restrictions

Pauly's Hotel is anxiously awaiting to meet its full potential after pandemic restrictions

Leave Comment

Stay Connected with Us

  • 7.1k Fans
  • 4.7k Fans
  • 610 Fans
  • 357 Subscribers

Recent News

NIGHT and DAY: Doug Smith and Walk for Parkinson’s

SUMMER – The Donna Summer Musical to kick off shows at Proctors this December

April 16, 2021
SPOTTED: Bethlehem rallies to beat Shen 3-2

SPOTTED: Bethlehem rallies to beat Shen 3-2

April 15, 2021
South Colonie names William Roemer AD, will take over for retiring Joe Guardino

South Colonie names William Roemer AD, will take over for retiring Joe Guardino

April 15, 2021
GUILDERLAND LIBRARY: Phased Reopening, Expanded Hours

GUILDERLAND LIBRARY: Healthy fishing

April 15, 2021

Hot Stories This Week

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Apparent murder suicide in Colonie

Apparent murder suicide in Colonie

April 10, 2021
Apparent murder suicide in Colonie

Murder-suicide bodies identified in Colonie; domestic violence help is available

April 12, 2021
Filmmaker’s new indie movie is inspired by his late teen daughter

Filmmaker’s new indie movie is inspired by his late teen daughter

February 19, 2020
Sgt. Joseph Iachetta walks out of rehab

Sgt. Joseph Iachetta walks out of rehab

April 9, 2021
NIGHT and DAY: Doug Smith and Walk for Parkinson’s

SUMMER – The Donna Summer Musical to kick off shows at Proctors this December

April 16, 2021
SPOTTED: Bethlehem rallies to beat Shen 3-2

SPOTTED: Bethlehem rallies to beat Shen 3-2

April 15, 2021
South Colonie names William Roemer AD, will take over for retiring Joe Guardino

South Colonie names William Roemer AD, will take over for retiring Joe Guardino

April 15, 2021
GUILDERLAND LIBRARY: Phased Reopening, Expanded Hours

GUILDERLAND LIBRARY: Healthy fishing

April 15, 2021
Spotlight News

Spotlight News, The Spot 518 and Capital District Family Now are divisions of Community Media Group, LLC. Our local offices are located at 341 Delaware Ave, Delmar, NY 12054. You can contact us at 518.439.4949.

Browse

Follow Us

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact the Editor
  • Employment
  • Our Team
  • Privacy & Policy

© 2021 Community Media Group, LLC - 341 Delaware Ave. Delmar, NY 12054. 518.439.4949

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • Spotlight On Business
    • Spotlight on Finance
  • Sports
  • The Spot 518
  • Hot Spots Calendar
  • Opinion
  • Subscribe
  • Log In
  • Classifieds
    • Advertiser Login

© 2021 Community Media Group, LLC - 341 Delaware Ave. Delmar, NY 12054. 518.439.4949