The Independent Party of New Rochelle has been causing a bit of havoc this campaign season. Candidates from the Republican and Democratic Party were told that they had won the nomination of the party and to get signatures on petitions. As it turned out, in several districts, they told both parties the same thing and those petitions were actually needed to get on the ballot of primary elections in September. The number of people who will vote in these primary contests will likely be counted in the tens. Not tens of thousands. Just tens.
The Party is small — many people join the party by accident believing they are choosing to be not a member of a party by checking “independent” when what they really want is to be “non-registered” — but the spot on the November 2011 ballot is coveted nonetheless.
In three races the uncontested nomination was given to Jared Rice (District 3), Roberto Lopez (District 1), Richard St. Paul (Mayor).
Lopez, however, failed to obtain the required number of signatures after one of his petition sheets was disqualified by the bi-partisan County Election Commission, setting up a court battle tomorrow in White Plains, NY. The case will be heard at the Westchester County Courthouse on Tuesday, August 2nd at 10:00 am. The Petitioner Objector is District 1 resident Denise Rossetti. The Candidate Aggrieved Petitioner is Louis Trangucci. The Respondent Candidate is Roberto Lopez and the Westchester County Board of Elections.
