Lisa Matus and Eric Stalter have filed a suit against the Riverside County Registrar of Voters (ROV) alleging that the office violated election code by disqualifying them from appearing on the ballot for the June 2 primary.
Both Matus and Stalter said they believed they had completed the necessary steps to appear on the ballot for the Riverside County Board of Supervisors District 5 seat, but found out that their applications were deficient after it was too late to correct the issue.
“We need to have fair ballot access for people like us, grassroots politicians who are trying to make a change and be a voice of the community,” Matus said.
The county, in a statement to The Riverside Record said the ROV was committed to “following all eligibility requirements for all candidates and measures seeking to be on the ballot.”
“These eligibility requirements and deadlines are set by state law to ensure fair elections, and adequate time for printing and mailing of election materials,” the statement continued. “As we wait for the court’s decision on this matter, no additional information is available at this time.”
According to a court filing, Matus submitted nomination papers containing voter signatures in support of her candidacy, but was later notified that only a portion of the signatures were deemed valid by the ROV.
That notice was sent after hours, which prevented her from being able to review and correct the issue, Matus said.
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“If they would have told me [when filing], instead of telling me that everything was good, if they would have told me [then], I would have had enough time,” she said. “They’re supposed to give you, the candidate, a chance to rectify the deficiency, and I didn’t get that.”
Stalter said he wasn’t even notified that his application, submitted February 11, was deficient. Instead, he found out March 7 after a friend notified him that he wasn’t listed as a qualified candidate.
According to a court filing, the ROV notarized Stalter’s declaration of candidacy, accepted his filing fee and administered his oath of office. Stalter said this led him to believe that he had completed the required steps, but he later found out that his application was missing a single document.
Like Matus, Stalter did not learn about the deficiency until it was too late to fix it.
“I did everything,” he said. “They’ve got my check, they administered the oath of office, and so I’m thinking I’m good, but in the process a notarized document had ended up back into my possession and did not stay with the county.”
Stalter said he tried to fix the problem by offering to bring the document down to the ROV’s office as soon as he learned it was missing, but was told he had missed the deadline to have his name on the ballot.
“In my view, we’re seeking relief,” said Stalter, who noted that the next hearing was set for March 27. “And that relief is in out of respect for the voters, respect for those who went out of their way to help us get our names on the ballot, and respect for the candidates who are working to get on the ballot.”
Both candidates said they hoped that the court would find in their favor and allow them both to be on the June primary ballot. If not, they will be able to run as write-in candidates, which Matus said comes with its own challenges.
“We’re not going to give up,” she said. “But it’s just much harder in the sense that people have to remember the name and write it in.”
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