Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, November 18, 1994 TAG: 9411180097
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Election laws permit the chairmen of political parties - as well as the parties themselves - to endorse school board candidates, said Michael Brown, secretary of the state Board of Education.
Brown said Thursday that the only thing the parties can't do is nominate school board candidates.
Poll workers are free to say pretty much what they want, he said, as long as they don't intimidate, threaten or bribe voters or enter prohibited areas at the polling place.
Candidates can say what they want about themselves and opponents on posters and other ads - as long as the ads say they are authorized by the candidate, Brown said.
Wayne Newman, a School Board candidate in the Windsor Hills District, claims that Leggette misled voters with signs that made it appear he was endorsed by the Democratic and Republican parties rather just the parties' chairmen.
Newman said Leggette's poll workers also misled voters by telling them he was supported by the Democrats and Republicans.
"I feel Mr. Leggette, a lawyer, stayed within the boundaries of the law, even though the line was stretched very thin," Newman said.
On Election Day, he said, Leggette had posters showing in bold type the names of the Republican and Democratic parties, followed by the word "leaders" in small print.
Newman finished third in the four-way contest for the Windsor Hills seat. Leggette received 2,994 votes, 18 more than Lisa Merrill. She has asked for a recount, but she doesn't expect any change in the outcome. Newman received 805 votes, and Richard Cullinan received 572.
Leggette said there was nothing unusual about his posters or poll workers.
Brown said he hasn't seen Newman's complaints.
If there are any allegations of lawbreaking, he said, they would be referred to the Roanoke County commonwealth's attorney. The Board of Elections does not have the staff to investigate or prosecute allegations of election law violations.
Newman said the political party chairmen and the parties themselves should be barred from endorsing School Board candidates. Otherwise, school board elections will become the "mudslinging, sleazy campaigns of our state and national elections," he said.
But Brown said such a policy might clash with First Amendment and other rights.
Newman said Leggette's campaign tactics took advantage of many voters' lack of knowledge about the candidates and the School Board election.
Most voters were not aware that School Board candidates have to run as independents and can't be nominated by political parties, he said.
Memo: NOTE: Shorter version ran in Metro edition.