Access to the Democratic Governor Primary Ballot at Stake
DES MOINES, IOWA | March 29, 2014 - On Friday, March 28, the Iowa Supreme Court granted Jonathan Narcisse's motion for expedited appeal of the District Court's refusal to reverse the Secretary of State's denial of Narcisse accessing the June 3rd Primary ballot for Democratic governor nomination.
Three Iowa Supreme Court justices, Wiggins, Hecht and Mansfield, will hear the appeal and parties have until noon on Monday, March 31st to submit their briefs. Narcisse was denied ballot access due to technical errors on three petition pages submitted to the Secretary of States' office on March 15th.
On March 27th the Iowa District Court in Polk County refused to allow any of Narcisse's exhibits as evidence in his effort to gain ballot access, citing both affidavits from Narcisse petitioners and a 2012 "Conclusion of Law" from Secretary Schultz and Attorney General Miller, as inadmissible. The District Court cited an Arizona ruling on election law as support for calling Narcisse's evidence "extrinsic."
The 2012 "Conclusion of Law" found that state senator Joe Seng's technical errors for submission to the primary ballot for a US House run, "should be liberally construed to the benefit of the electors in order to provide every lawful opportunity for the electors to express their preference at the ballot box."
