Judge denies challenge to toss Toprani from ballot

By Max Robinette
mrobinette@yourmvi.com
A Washington County judge threw out a challenge to remove a Ringgold School Board candidate from the ballot.
School board candidate Paula Harshaw announced at this month’s board meeting that she filed a petition against opponent Steve Toprani for improperly crossfiling on his ballot petition.
Toprani, a registered Republican, is listed as both a Democrat and Republican on the upcoming school board ballot.
Harshaw argued Toprani failed to get a registered Democrat to circulate his ballot petition when filing as a Democrat. Harshaw backed her claims with copies of Toprani’s ballot petitions she obtained from the county election office.
According to the Pennsylvania School Board Association, “an individual may only circulate a petition on behalf of a party of which he/she is a registered member; a registered member of the other party may circulate a petition for members of that party to request your name be on the ballot.”
Harshaw said she filed the challenge without counsel and shortly after discovering she may have improperly filed it.
Judge Michael Lucas ruled that Harshaw erred in filling the challenge as a Republican against a Democratic ballot. In Pennsylvania, a person can only file a ballot removal challenge as a member of the same party. The judge ruled that the court lacked the jurisdiction to review the challenge.

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