City Clerks Must Follow Election Laws

* Re “Rash of O.C. Recall Efforts Testifies to Voters’ Mood” (Oct. 8): Recall advocate W. Snow Hume of Fullerton is quoted as saying “City clerks try to ground you down and get rid of as many of your signatures as possible.” As retired city clerks, and on behalf of all city clerks, we take great exception to his statement.

City clerks, and county and state elections officials as well, have a ministerial duty to follow the elections laws to the letter. It is the elections official’s legal duty to see that the petition conforms.

We suspect that Mr. Hume is upset because the Fullerton city clerk would not ignore the law and accept his petitions that did not conform. The city clerk was doing him a favor, even though he may not have liked it, and in fact, has started a recall against that city clerk because of his dissatisfaction. But you can bet that if the city clerk had accepted his non-conforming petition, the other side would have been in court quicker than he could blink!

As for disqualifying signatures, the law is very clear on this subject: The signatures must be those of bona fide registered voters in the jurisdiction.

The elections officials that we know throughout the state consistently stress to proponents of petitions to follow the letter of the law. If they don’t, someone out there is going to take them to court to disqualify their petition and may win! The courts don’t take kindly to anyone trying to circumvent the elections laws. Those who try do a disservice to their supporters and the signers of those petitions. So don’t blame the city clerk, or other elections officials, when he or she turns it back because it doesn’t meet the elections laws. They are doing their job and helping to make it possible for that petition to qualify.

NANCY C. and JOHN A. LACEY

Orange