Three individuals, with support from the California Democratic Party, filed a lawsuit in federal court yesterday seeking to delay the June 22 special election to fill the state senate seat being vacated by newly confirmed Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado.
Three individuals, with support from the California Democratic Party, filed a lawsuit in federal court yesterday seeking to delay the June 22 special election to fill the state senate seat being vacated by newly confirmed Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado.
The plaintiffs argue that Monterey County, which lies within the district, won’t have time to properly prepare for the election. Monterey is a Voting Rights Act county, which means federal authorities must approve conditions for each election in order to make sure minority voters aren’t disenfranchised. Candidate John Laird wrote a letter to his opponent, Assembly Minority Leader Sam Blakeslee, asking him to prioritize fairness to Monterey County above competition and join him in asking the governor to set another date.
Last month Gov. Schwarzenegger declared the June 22 date (with Aug. 17 run-off), disappointing Democrats, who are widely viewed as likely to suffer in a low-turnout election. Read more at San Jose Inside.
