The city of Burlington has suspended early voting after learning that the names of five Republican candidates for Justice of the Peace were left off the ballot.
The city will reprint absentee ballots at a cost of $10,000, city officials said in a news release. A total of 422 absentee ballots had been returned, officials said, and all of those voters will receive corrected ballots by early next week. Voters must submit the corrected ballots in order for them to be counted. All of the 422 ballots received will be considered spoiled, city officials said.
“I am disappointed that, for the second time in two years, the City finds itself in the position of having to correct a ballot,” said Mayor Miro Weinberger. “These avoidable and costly errors must end. I have directed CAO Bob Rusten to submit to me within 30 days after the election a new set of procedures for ensuring the accuracy of all ballot language, including verification of candidate information with Burlington’s political parties in advance of ballot publication.”
The Burlington Republican Committee brought the error to the city clerk’s attention, the news release said.
