Statehouse Beat: Ripples Continue From House Ballot Vacancy Fight

The saga of the ballot vacancy/un-vacancy in the House 35th keeps getting more bizarre.Now comes word the U.S. Justice Department is seeking a consent decree that would delay the Kanawha County Commission's canvassing ballots in that district for a week, from Nov. 10 to Nov. 17, presumably to assure that absentee military ballots from overseas would be counted.That's to account for the delay in reprinting ballots after the state Supreme Court concluded the State Election Commission had erred by not authorizing Marie Sprouse-McDavid's name to be added to the ballot after the bizarre, unilateral withdrawal by Delegate Suzette Raines, R-Kanawha.Kanawha Commission President Kent Carper said he's not inclined to go along with the delay, since there's nothing in state election code providing for a postponement of the canvass, and it could lead to further craziness if the election is contested and a recount is demanded.