Platte County election officials’ ‘misunderstanding’ could disqualify 7 candidates
Seven people running for election this fall in Platte County could be removed from the ballot next week after a “misunderstanding” among local officials caused incorrect filing information to be shared with candidates.
The director of the Platte County Board of Elections, Chris Hershey, said his office gave candidates a yellow sheet of paper outlining how to file their personal financial disclosure statements. However, the information provided was inaccurate and did not align with county election law.
Now, seven candidates could be removed from the Aug. 4 ballot after they did not file their personal financial disclosure statements properly as required by the county before the April 21 deadline.
In Platte County, countywide candidates must file financial statements with both the Missouri Ethics Commission and the county clerk in compliance with a county ordinance first passed nearly 30 years ago mandating the dual filing. In many other Missouri counties, candidates only need to file with the state.
According to the ordinance, if candidates do not file to both entities by the deadline, the county commission should inform the Platte County Board of Elections to disqualify the candidate and remove their name from the ballot.
The sheet of paper provided by Hershey’s office told candidates they only needed to only file online with the MEC and not with any other entity.
“The incorrect information was due to a misunderstanding on our part about filing procedure with the county clerk and the intent to streamline the process for candidates,” Hershey said in an email to The Star Friday morning.
Those who could be deemed ineligible for this year’s election include Chris Kendall, a Republican running for county treasurer; Gena Ross, a Republican running for presiding commissioner; Russ Wojtkiewicz, a Republican vying for county clerk; Kevin Robinson, a Republican running for county auditor; Holly Cayer, a Republican running for county collector; and Mary McKenna, a Democrat running for presiding commissioner.
While some candidates claim the yellow slip of paper led to the mistake, Platte County Presiding Commissioner Scott Fricker said documents show candidates were made aware of the dual filing requirement through other paperwork provided by the county.
Documents provided by Platte County Clerk Jera Pruitt show that all seven candidates received and signed written notice explaining the filing deadlines, the purpose of the disclosures and the consequences for failing to comply, including potential disqualification, Fricker said.
On Monday morning, the Platte County Commission will consider approving seven orders — one for each candidate — that would disqualify those who did not file by the April 21 deadline. The draft orders direct the Platte County Board of Election Commissioners to remove the candidates’ names from the August primary ballot.
If approved, candidate filing for both the treasurer and auditor offices will reopen for five working days, as required by Missouri law, to allow new candidates to enter those races, according to the order. That’s because the two races’ incumbents would no longer be eligible.
“These draft orders reflect the commission’s responsibility for overseeing compliance with Missouri and Platte County ethics and conflict-of-interest requirements,” Fricker said in a statement. “The commission will consider the information presented, along with any testimony offered by the affected candidates, before determining whether to adopt, amend or reject the proposed orders.”
