Bush a write-in? (Politics).With the national Republican Party shifting next year's GOP convention from August to the first week in September to be closer to Sept. 11 commemorations, President Bush could miss the deadline for certification as the Republican Party nominee on the California Nov. 2004 ballot. And that could mean Bush's name would be left off the ballot. Last week, California's newly-elected Secretary of State, Kevin Shelley Kevin Francis Shelley (born November 16, 1955 in San Francisco, California) is a California politician, who was the 28th California Secretary of State from January 6, 2003, until his resignation on March 4, 2005. -- a Democrat -- said that in order to qualify for the ballot, state law requires his office receive official notice of every party's nominee by Aug. 26, 2004. In past presidential elections, the Republican and Democratic nominees have been officially voted on in the last two days of their parties' respective national conventions. If that were to hold true for the GOP convention, then the official nomination of George Bush wouldn't take place until Sept. 1 or 2. "Our initial understanding of the statute is that the candidate must be officially nominated nom·i·nate tr.v. nom·i·nat·ed, nom·i·nat·ing, nom·i·nates 1. To propose by name as a candidate, especially for election. 2. To designate or appoint to an office, responsibility, or honor. by the party before the Secretary of State is able to certify cer·ti·fy v. cer·ti·fied, cer·ti·fy·ing, cer·ti·fies v.tr. 1. a. To confirm formally as true, accurate, or genuine. b. that candidate for the ballot," said Terri Carbaugh, a spokeswoman for Shelley. To avoid the prospect of Bush being a write-in, either the Democrat-controlled Legislature would have to amend the existing law to move the deadline back or the GOP would have to certify Bush as its nominee by Aug. 26, a full week before the convention. If the deadline is moved back, though, another complication complication /com·pli·ca·tion/ (kom?pli-ka´shun) 1. disease(s) concurrent with another disease. 2. occurrence of several diseases in the same patient. com·pli·ca·tion n. arises. "Sept. 3 is the day on which all of the absentee One who has left, either temporarily or permanently, his or her domicile or usual place of residence or business. A person beyond the geographical borders of a state who has not authorized an agent to represent him or her in legal proceedings that may be commenced against him or her ballots are mailed to registered California voters who are overseas," Carbaugh said. "if the certification were to take place on the evening of Sept. 2, that's not enough time to get the ballots printed." Of course all of these legal technicalities The term legal technicality is a casual or colloquial phrase referring to a technical aspect of law. The phrase is not a term of art in the law; it has no exact meaning, nor does it have a legal definition. take on a distinctly different hue to Republicans. "For Secretary of State Shelley to deny Bush a place on the ballot would be viewed as an overtly political act," said Republican commentator and strategist strat·e·gist n. One who is skilled in strategy. Noun 1. strategist - an expert in strategy (especially in warfare) strategian market strategist - someone skilled in planning marketing campaigns Dan Schnur. |
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