Battles Launches Petition Drive to Restore Ballot Access
In AL Senate District 10, Jesse Battles says he has 3,000 signatures already, calls matter one of fairness, transparency, integrity of process
Yesterday, Alabama Senate District 10 Republican hopeful Jesse Battles took to Facebook in support of a petition to ask the Alabama Republican Party (ALGOP) Steering Committee to restore his access to the ballot.
In his post, Battles said:
“One week ago, I was thrown off the ballot without breaking a single bylaw. The Alabama Republican Party still has not given ONE reason for silencing District 10 voters and taking away their voice.
“I have spent my entire life as a Republican, I have grown one of the largest College Republican chapters in our state; volunteered for President Trump in every election since 2015; engaged directly with thousands of voters on behalf of Republican candidates; I worked for Alabama's Secretary of State Office, helping enforce the toughest voter ID law in America; and actively volunteered and served as a dues paying member in the Etowah County Republican Party. And yet, the Alabama Republican Party is treating me like a leper.
“Since last Sunday, I have worked tirelessly to get back on the ballot where we belong. We have gathered well over 3,000 signatures from our district, sent thousands of emails to Party Leadership demanding transparency, and have formally submitted a certified letter requesting reinstatement. We have confirmation that the Party has this letter in their possession.
“NOW we're being told the Steering Committee has 'discretionary powers' that put them above the rules. Simply put, they're claiming they have the right to remove anyone they don’t like, even if you break no rules, simply because they can.
“That should concern everyone.
“A small group of PAID political consultants, some tied directly to my opponents' campaigns, and former lobbyists sit on the Republican Party’s Steering Committee. They should not have unlimited autonomy to remove candidates from the ballot, especially when they have a financial stake in the outcome. Anyone with a financial interest in removing a candidate has no business being in a position of power in the Alabama Republican Party.
“We are running out of time. The establishment is counting on this fading away. They are counting on you forgetting. We will not let that happen.
“This is about fairness. This is about transparency. This is about the integrity of our process. The voters of District 10 deserve nothing less, and I will not stop fighting until the Committee makes the right decision and puts me back on the ballot.”
Joan Reynolds, Chairwoman ALGOP
joanr@reynoldstechnical.com
Shannon Whitt, Chief of Staff
shannon@algop.org
Battles is not the only candidate to express concern about the process by which the ALGOP Steering Committee has handled the access, challenge and appeal process this cycle, as ALPolitics.com has reported HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.
Battles’ petition may be signed at this link: https://secure.winred.com/jessebattles/ballot-access-petition?fbclid=IwdGRleAQKtO9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xNzM4NDc2NDI2NzAzNzAAAR6Zpa0tPrx1g2FEs6Q-Vs8zrDI_ffoYtOJtJTsm41i60nfHP5VXb7v1GVecaA_aem_MVtB3LXCtESnRPA8TmULnQ
For more information on Jesse Battles and his campaign, follow him on Facebook or on the web at https://www.jessebattles.com.
