Toss voter-cowing lawsuit, GOP asks
The Republican Party of Arkansas asked a special judge Thursday to throw out a voter-intimidation lawsuit against the party and Jefferson County Election Commissioner Stu Soffer.
Earlier this week, Pine Bluff resident Victor Johnson and Jefferson County Clerk Patricia Johnson -- who are not related -- sued Soffer, the election commission and the state GOP. Soffer was an election commissioner who also was working as a poll watcher. The two said in the lawsuit that Soffer had threatened Victor Johnson and prevented him from voting early at the county courthouse.
Attorney George Ritter, who is representing the defendants, said in a court filing Thursday that there was no conflict of interest in Soffer, a Republican who as an election commissioner counts ballots, being a poll watcher. The issue is moot because Soffer no longer works as a poll watcher, Ritter said.
"The only thing Petitioners are alleging is that they are being threatened by the mere existence of poll watchers who happen to be County Election Commissioners," the attorney wrote. "The place to address this concern is not by bringing a frivolous action for declaratory relief. Petitioners should instead ask the General Assembly for relief in the form of a change in the voting laws governing poll watchers."
Read more: http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2016/nov/04/toss-voter-cowing-lawsuit-gop-asks-2016-1/?f=news-politics
= new reply since forum marked as read
