Richmond man, lawyers try to stop ballot printing - NBC12.com - Richmond, VA News

Two Richmond lawyers are going to court to stop the printing of the November ballot. Lawyers for mayoral candidate Michael Ryan say the city registrar made a mistake and it's keeping their client off the ballot.

Delegate Joe Morrissey and Attorney Paul Goldman filed a motion in state court Friday. It claims that if the city registrar doesn't review the would-be mayoral candidate's signatures, it would be a violation of his Constitutional rights.

Ryan said he gathered enough signatures to appear on the November ballot. The registrar threw some signatures out, saying they were invalid. Ryan wants the registrar to review the signatures again.

"Our goal is to make sure Michael Ryan gets his fair shot," said Delegate Joe Morrissey, who is representing Ryan and one of Ryan's petitioners. "He won't get that until he gets a review and that's all he's asking."

George Cummings is also named in the motion. He claims his signature on Ryan's mayoral petition should have been counted.

This incident follows a similar controversy involving a school board candidate.

Last week, the city registrar admitted school board candidate Tichi Pinkney Eppes was unfairly disqualified. When the registrar reviewed her signatures, she said Eppes had enough to appear on the November ballot.

This time, the city hasn't responded to the claim. The men say if the City doesn't respond to this motion by next week. they'll be back in court to fight it out. Goldman and Morrissey say everyone has the same right under due process. Since Eppes was granted a review, so should Ryan.

The court hearing is set to take place next Wednesday at 9 a.m.

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