Legal News

Judge rejects challenge to new recount rules

By Jason Siegel

A San Diego judge rejected a lawsuit seeking to overturn the new election recount rules imposed by California Secretary of State Debra Bowen, The Press-Enterprise reported.

Ruling against a lawsuit brought by San Diego County and joined by Kern, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, San Diego Superior Court Judge Patricia Coweta said the secretary of state has the authority to make the changes according to state election laws.

Last October, Bowen increased the number of ballots to be hand-counted (from 1% to 10%) in close races.

While some say this won't effect the Feb. 5 presidential primary, Kern County is worried, like the other counties in the lawsuit, that days could be added to the recount process in their local, and often close, elections this year, the Bakersfield Californian reported.

The new recounts could take so long that election workers may be unable to certify the results within the legally required 28-day period, San Diego Registrar of Voters Deborah Seilar told the North County Times. San Diego County attorney Tim Barry said he'll file an appeal by the week's end and hopes it will be heard before the presidential primary.

Full post as published by Legal Pad | LA on January 24, 2008 (boomark / email).