Technicality keeps Gallagher out of race
A man denied entry into the school board race feels election officials were too strict by disqualifying his entry because he failed to sign an inside page of his qualifying petition.
?It was splitting hairs,? said Terry Gallagher who had hoped to take on Mike Holland for his 5th District school board seat this August. ?Had I been let in, the voters would have at least had a choice. By keeping me out they effectively gave Mike Holland his job back.?
Gallagher pointed out his opponent will face no opposition in August, noting he thought he had signed everything which needed signing before his wife took his qualifying papers to the election office here before the April deadline.
According to Election Administrator Donna Yates, Gallagher did obtain the 25 signatures of registered voters in his district as required; however, he forgot to sign the second sheet of signatures. Yates said the matter is out of her hands since the deadline passed, noting Gallagher could pursue his case before a chancellor who could decide to put him on the ballot anyway.
As for overlooking the signing, Gallagher said a clerk at the election office had stapled the papers so he was not able to sign the second page. Plus, Gallagher said he had asked earlier about the places he needed to sign and that the second petition page was not among them. As for correcting the problem, Gallagher said he was told of the oversight minutes before deadline and could not make it to McMinnville from Morrison in time to sign the second page.
?There was no checklist for me to go by so I would know if I?d overlooked something,? Gallagher said. ?Had I known about signing the second page I would have, obviously, seeing I wanted to run for the office.?
Gallagher said he has consulted attorneys about his recourse but lawyers he talked with are unsure what path to follow to challenge the election law when it comes to his qualifying for the race. Gallagher noted he has not ruled out any options, including that of running a write-in campaign.