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Troubling and Unfair: Robin Carnahan’s biased ballot language

January 7, 2010

JEFFERSON CITY—Earlier this week, a Missouri court ruled on another Robin Carnahan ballot summary, and once again, the version that emerged is not the same as what Carnahan wrote.  This is the fourth time Carnahan’s language has not been able to withstand a court challenge.

In the past two years, Carnahan’s ballot summaries have been called “troubling,” “unfair,” “insufficient,” and “inadequate” by Missouri’s courts.  Prior to Carnahan’s tenure, even some of her supporters cannot recall a single example of a judge rewriting a Secretary of State’s ballot summary.

After Judge Richard Callahan (who was recently appointed by President Obama as a United States Attorney) took issue with Carnahan’s ballot language for the first time in 2008, the Associated Press (January 8, 2008) reported that “the ruling appears unique. No appeals court has ever changed the ballot language for a Missouri initiative, said Jefferson City attorney Alex Bartlett… Bartlett said he also does not know of any previous circuit judge who has rewritten a ballot summary.” Bartlett is a long-time Carnahan supporter.

“The first time a judge was forced to re-write one of Robin Carnahan’s ballot summaries, it was called unprecedented.  Since then, the Courts have thrown out Carnahan’s biased language three more times.  This pattern raises serious questions about her lack of impartiality and her use of her office to further her political agenda,” said Lloyd Smith, Executive Director of the Missouri Republican Party.  “We already know that Robin Carnahan has failed to protect Missouri’s elections from fraud and that she sees nothing wrong with maintaining her cozy relationship with ACORN.  Now we are learning that Carnahan has consistently abused her position as the state’s chief elections official by writing ‘unfair’ and ‘troubling’ ballot language in an attempt to confuse Missourians and hurt those she disagrees with.”

Robin Carnahan’s history of biased ballot language:

1)      In January 2008, a Cole County judge rejected Carnahan-written ballot summary, calling it “troubling.” At the time, Jefferson City attorney and Carnahan supporter Alex Bartlett said the ruling was unprecedented—claims that he knew of no other instance of a Missouri court overturning a Secretary of State’s ballot language.  (AP, January 8, 2008)

2)      In February 2009, another judge rewrote a ballot summary, calling Carnahan’s version “insufficient and unfair.” (AP, February 21, 2008)

3)      In June 2009, a judge struck down another Carnahan ballot summary, calling her text inadequate and unfair.  (AP, June 26, 2009)

4)      A few days later, a judge ruled that Carnahan’s ballot summary was “insufficient and unfair.” (AP, June 30, 2009)   In January 2010, an appeals court again re-wrote the ballot summary. (AP, January 6, 2010)