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Williamsburg misses election filing deadline
Southeast Iowa Union offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
Candidates begin write-in campaigns for November election
WILLIAMSBURG — Voters in Williamsburg will have to write in the names of their choices for mayor and city council members in the November election because the city missed the Sept. 19 filing deadline.
Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate said 34 school board and city candidates across seven counties will not be listed on the ballot in the November election due to errors made by filing officers.
Candidates had to return nomination papers to their school district offices or city halls by 5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 18. State code requires school board secretaries and city clerks to deliver all candidate nomination petitions to the county auditor’s office the day after the last day that the petitions can be filed.
Six cities and three school districts missed that noon Sept. 19 deadline, Pate said.
Pate said these errors were made despite “extensive” training sessions on filing guidelines, where resources listing the deadlines were provided.
Jake Tornholm, a Williamsburg city council member running for re-election, told the Cedar Rapids Gazette Thursday that the situation is “disappointing,” but he will continue his campaign as a write-in candidate.
“It is deeply frustrating to know that despite meeting all filing requirements, my name will not appear on the ballot due to mistakes beyond my control,” Tornholm said in a statement. “I will continue my campaign as a write-in candidate and, as a current city council member, will also take steps to help ensure that this type of mistake does not happen again.”
Jeff Steinkamp also filed for Williamsburg City Council, and Adam Grier filed for mayor. All three are incumbents.
Other cities and schools that missed the deadline were the City of Jolley in Calhoun County; New Hampton and Turkey Valley Community School Districts in Chickasaw County; The Cities of Andover and Welton in Clinton County; The City of Pulaski in Davis County; the Oelwein Community School Distirct in Fayette County; and the City of Galva in Ida County.
