Absentee ballots delayed

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October 20, 2009

By JOE LOTEMPLIO The Press Republican Tue Oct 20, 2009, 05:04 PM EDT

PLATTSBURGH — Delivery of absentee ballots in Clinton County has been held up by a court case that involves a candidate who was killed in a car accident last week.

At question — before the accident — was whether two candidates for Altona Town Council can appear on the Republican Party line on the Nov. 3 ballot.

Democrats are claiming that the certificates of nomination for Herbert O. Therrian and Ronald L. Lee Sr. were not filed by the Sept. 22 deadline, and therefore they should not be allowed on the ballot.

Republicans say the certificates were filed on time in the office, although they acknowledge that they were not time-stamped.

The case will be heard in Clinton County Court at 1:30 p.m. today before Judge Kevin K. Ryan.

TRAGIC CRASH

One of the candidates, Lee, 69, was killed in a double-fatal accident on Military Turnpike last Friday afternoon.

The Chevy Malibu that Lee was riding in collided with a van driven by Aaron J. Trombley, 32, of Morrisonville.

According to police reports, the van was heading south and swerved into the northbound lane toward the car.

The car turned into the southbound lane to avoid a collision, but the van swerved back and hit the side of the Malibu, according to State Police.

The accident is still under investigation, and no tickets have been issued.

Robert J. Wood, 44, the Altona Republican Party chairman, was also killed in the wreck.

Therrian, 56, who was driving the Malibu, and Trombley, were injured.

Lee, Wood and Therrian were returning home after driving to Plattsburgh to sign papers at the Board of Elections for the court case when the accident occurred.

BOTH VETERANS

Lee had served on the Altona Town Council for four years and the Tax Grievance Board for 14 years.

He was a 20-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force, serving two years in Vietnam. He also spent several years as a youth sports coach and organizer and was president of the Altona Rockside Senior Club for the past seven years.

Wood spent 20 years in the U.S. Navy, retiring in 2004. He was employed at Champlain Peterbilt.

ABSENTEE BALLOT

If the judge rules today that Lee and Therrian can be on the ballot, the Altona Candidate Substitution Committee will have until Friday to choose someone to run in Lee’s place.

Because of the court case, Board of Elections officials have not been able to send out absentee ballots.

Military absentee ballots were supposed to be sent out Oct. 2 and the rest of the absentee ballots by Oct. 15.

Absentee ballots were sent out last Friday to the military and general public for the special election for the 23rd congressional race, which is also being held on Nov. 3, but absentee ballots for the regular election have not been sent out.

Republican Election Commissioner Judith Layhee said she hopes the regular absentee ballots can be sent out by the end of this week.

Democratic Commissioner Sue Castine said absentee ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 2, and the Board of Elections has two weeks after the election to receive them.

E-mail Joe LoTemplio at:

jlotemplio@pressrepublican.com