Table of Contents xi Author’s Note................................................................................................................................................................ About the Author................................................................................................................................................ xiii Acknowledgments............................................................................................................................................... xv Introduction......................................................................................................................................................... xvii Chapter 1. Challenges to Elections Must be Based on Written Authority: 1 Constitutions, Laws and Regulations....................................................................................... 1 A. There is no common law basis for election challenges...................................................... Taylor v. Central City Community School District Mirlisena v. Fellerhoff 2 B. Statutory procedures must be strictly followed............................................................... 3 B.1 Exhaust administrative remedies.................................................................................. Taylor v. Roche B.2. Keep claims within dictates of statutory procedures............................................. 4 Taylor v. Town of Atlantic Beach Election Commission B.3. Timely filing.................................................................................................................... 5 Pullen v. Mulligan B.4. Identify procedural defects: Fundamental v. technical........................................... 6 Logic v. City of South Milwaukee Board of Canvassers B.5. Follow the letter of the law.......................................................................................... 8 Jernigan v. Curtis Taft v. Cuyahoga Board of Elections C. Common law principles ensure fairness in election challenges: Due diligence ........ 10 In re General Election for District Justice Valence v. Rosiere Taft v. Cuyahoga Board of Elections D. The challenger’s burden of proof can determine the outcome of a lawsuit..............14 16 E. Official actions and results are presumed to be valid...................................................... Boardman v. Esteva F. Summary...................................................................................................................................17 19 Chapter 2. Election Results Stand Unless a Violation Materially Affects the Outcome...................... A. A successful challenge must prove that irregularities changed the result of the 19 election or resulted from fraud.................................................................................................. Andrews v. Blackman Knight v. State Board of Canvassers George v. Municipal Election Commission of the City of Charleston Underwood v. County Commission of Kanawha County Deffebach v. Chapel Hill Independent School District v