Hudson's Own Fake News
On Thursday, Amanda Purcell's report about Earl Swanigan carried the headline: "Mayoral candidate's sentencing postponed." Along with referring to Swanigan as a mayoral candidate in the text of the article, Purcell stated: "Swanigan is up against only one other candidate--Harry "Rick" Rector, a 1st Ward aldermen." Remarkably, Phil Grant, while reporting the news today on WGXC, picked up Purcell's story and her error, stating: "Swanigan is a candidate in the September 12 Democratic primary for mayor. It is unclear at this point how his conviction will impact his candidacy." WGXC has since corrected the error; the Register-Star has not.
Gossips repeats the news reported here on July 27. Swanigan's designating petitions were ruled invalid. Hence he is not a mayoral candidate; he has not been a mayoral candidate for more than a month now. In fact, he never actually was a mayoral candidate. His name will not appear on the ballot for the Democratic primary for mayor. There will be no Democratic primary for mayor.
Gossips Update: As of this morning, Tuesday, August 29, the article, first published on Thursday, August 24, has been corrected: "Mayoral candidate bidder's sentencing postponed."
COPYRIGHT 2017 CAROLE OSTERINK
One minor point -- in the form of a question: can voters "write in" Earl's name on the ballot or is even that write-in invalid?
ReplyDeleteThis is a question not for Gossips but for the Board of Elections. His petitions were declared invalid on their own merit (or lack of same), not because he'd been arrested.
DeleteI cant even make a joke about this jackass. Dreadful paintings, dreadful!. He could not even organize a piss-up in a brewery. Another wanker walking around warren st.
ReplyDeleteHis paintings are highly sought after and bring many to town in search of purchasing them. Like then or not - Earls art is closely identified with Hudson.
DeleteRight. Promptly on the morning that the article appeared, I wrote the following to Ms. Purcell: "Mr. Swanigan's Democratic petition for mayor was declared invalid by the Board of Elections and he will not be on either the September or the November ballot.” But the article has not been updated or corrected, as you noted.
ReplyDeleteBut is a write-in for Earl invalid as well? This is a question for any election and whether write-ins count. Are they considered official votes?
ReplyDeleteA voter can write in the name of any person, whether s/he has had a petition declared invalid or not. The write-in will be counted. If that individual should win the race, seating the winner is a matter for the municipality, not the Board of Elections. We just register voters, adjudicate ballot access, run the elections, and count the votes. (Just.)
ReplyDeleteOops--I should have added that writing in the name of someone already on the ballot for that particular race is a no-no. Such a vote will be invalidated.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Virginia.
ReplyDeleteIn an effort to be very, very clear: As Carole says, there is no Democratic primary (or any kind of primary) for mayor. Thus there is no opportunity to do a write-in vote for the office of mayor in the primary. In the general election in November, though, there is.
ReplyDelete