In The News
Luis Alejo decries faked election forms
Wednesday October 15, 2008
By BY: TODD GUILD
source: The Watsonville Register-Pajaronian
The Watsonville Register-Pajaronian, October 15, 2008
Luis Alejo decries faked election forms
Posted: Wednesday, Oct 15th, 2008
As the election season heats up and politicians across the country ramp up for Nov. 4, campaigners take to the airwaves, television programming and mailers, trying to get their voices heard.
Many still walk their districts, knocking on doors and meeting the people they would represent.
Candidates are bound by numerous rules — which cover financial disclosures — while campaigning, and occasionally a rule is broken.
That was apparently the case last week when Luis Alejo, attorney and community activist running for the District 2 seat on the Watsonville City Council, filed a complaint against his opponent for possible campaign malfeasance.
According to Alejo, his opponent, Joe Ortiz, filled out a sample election ballot with his own name marked in. He also wrote “Vote Ortiz” in large block letters. Ortiz also marked in several other candidates, including his choice for president of the United States. He then made copies and, according to Alejo, distributed “large numbers” of the ballots throughout District 2.
“I think it’s a clear violation of the elections code,” Alejo said.
“I’m just asking for some accountability and some assurance that this won’t happen again,” he added.
According to the California Elections Code, candidates may not use a simulated ballot unless it states clearly that it is not an actual ballot.
While the offense is a misdemeanor, Santa Cruz County Clerk Gail Pellerin said it’s not the first time a candidate has used sample ballots for the same purpose. She added that Ortiz likely didn’t know he was breaking a rule.
“I find that candidates sometimes make mistakes, not knowing what the laws are,” she said. “It’s a tempting way to get people to understand where you are and who you want them to vote for.”
But Alejo said that ignorance of the law is not a suitable defense.
“If you’re going to be a candidate, you have to follow the rules,” he said.
Alejo urged the Watsonville City Clerk and Pellerin to take action, but because neither is an enforcement agency, the case was referred to the California Fair Political Practices Commission and the Santa Cruz County district attorney, Watsonville City Clerk Beatriz Florez said.
The CFPPC is a Sacramento-based agency that focuses on campaign financing. According to spokesman Roman Porter, any candidate who spends more than $1,000 on their campaign must report where the money came from to their local institution.
Calls placed to the district attorney’s office were not immediately returned.
Ortiz admitted he filled out the ballots, but said he didn’t know about the rule.
“I got one of the mailers, filled it out and passed it out to a few people in my neighborhood,” Ortiz said. “I didn’t see anything wrong with it.”
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(Published in 10/15/08 edition)