
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, November 14, 1995                   TAG: 9511140078
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

VA. POLL WORKERS NOT LIMITED IN WHOM THEY MAY PROMOTE

Virginia law permits a campaign poll worker to distribute fliers and sample ballots for partisan candidates in General Assembly races and nonpartisan school board candidates at the same time, the secretary of the state Board of Elections said Monday.

There is nothing to prohibit individuals from passing out campaign materials for school board candidates, even if they also are working for other candidates who have been nominated by political parties, said Bruce Meadows.

State law requires all school board candidates to run as independents and prohibits political parties from nominating candidates for school boards.

But Meadows said the ban does not apply to the activities of individuals or organizations that choose to endorse, make contributions to or campaign for school board candidates.

Vern Jordahl, a losing candidate for the Roanoke County School Board's Cave Spring District seat, had complained that the Roanoke County Education Association's political action committee violated the nonpartisan spirit of school board elections.

The teachers' PAC supported the winners, William Irvin III in Cave Spring and Marion Roark in Catawba.

At some precincts, Jordahl said, poll workers for the teachers' organization were distributing materials for Democrat John Edwards, the winner in the state Senate race, as well as Irvin.

Kitty Boitnott, chairwoman of the teachers' PAC, said this was done by only one poll worker, briefly, at one precinct, and Boitnott stopped it immediately when she learned about it.

Boitnott said she discovered that another poll worker for the teachers' organization was wearing a sticker for Edwards as she passed out materials for Irvin, and Boitnott told her to take it off.

To comply with the nonpartisan spirit of school board elections, Boitnott said the teachers' PAC, which also backed Democrats in other races, had two sets of poll workers.

But Meadows said the same poll workers could have passed out materials for both sets of candidates.

"The law does not take away the rights of individuals or groups that want to endorse or support school board candidates," he said. "A person can pass out materials for whomever they want."

The teachers' PAC said Jordahl used partisan workers to distribute his campaign materials. Debbie McClure, former president of the teachers' group, said Republican workers for state Sen. Brandon Bell distributed Jordahl fliers.

by CNB