Ireland's Office Responds to Tennant

If she is elected secretary of state in 2008, Democrat Natalie Tennant may not have to worry about addressing the balloting snafu that marked the 2004 party primary, according to information provided to The Register-Herald of Beckley by incumbent Secretary of State Betty Ireland's office.

Tennant expressed concern to The Associated Press at her Wednesday candidacy announcement that neither Ireland nor the Legislature have taken steps to address the improper formatting of ballots that occurred during her unsuccessful 2004 bid for the office.

But Ireland Chief of Staff Ben Beakes tells the Beckley paper that 1) state law "bars the type of ballot design that plagued the 2004 race," 2) "the advent of electronic voting machines" make such formatting a moot point, and 3) the Legislature passed Senate Bill 616 earlier this year "that changed a lot of the ballot design."