St. Joseph County’s Democratic Party chair today (Tuesday) filed suit against members of the county election board and county clerk. It's an effort to get four democratic candidates on the November 3 ballot.
Don Westerhausen filed the suit in St. Joseph Circuit Court, where the first judge assigned, Mark Telloyan, recused himself because he’s served as a Republican election board member in the past.
The complaint seeks an injunction forcing the election board and clerk to place on the ballot Autumn Kaylor for auditor, Dan Caruso and Marcy Kauffman for New Carlisle Town Council and Christy Donlon for Walkerton Town Council.
The Republican-majority board has refused to allow them on the ballot because they initially filed their candidacy forms too late. But Westerhausen has since filed documents with the board certifying that he has chosen them as candidates to fill ballot vacancies, an allowable process under state law.
“We found out from the deputy clerk, Kim Riskovitch, that they instructed her to time stamp all of the papers and then they instructed her not to put our candidates on the ballot," Westerhausen says. "That’s illegal.”
The sides will next have to agree on a judge. Early voting starts Oct. 6.
