According to the City of Salem Attorney Ryan Bower, Mayor-Elect will be sworn in and will continue to serve as Mayor of Salem, despite an election challenge being filed in Washington Circuit Court.
Democratic Candidate for Mayor Bill Ackerman lost the Nov. 5 election to Republican candidate Justin Green but has filed a legal challenge in Washington Circuit Court.
Ackerman filed the suit on November 18, alleging that Mayor-Elect Green wasn’t a resident of Salem and therefore not eligible to run in the election for mayor.
The Democrat party has challenged this twice this past fall, but Washington County Clerk Stephanie Rockey said Green was certified to run in the election.
Green defeated Ackerman by 572 votes.
Circuit Judge Larry Medlock issued an order to contest the election that was served to Ackerman, Green, Tara Hunt, chair of the Washington County Republican Party, Darlene Briscoe, chair of the Washington County Democratic Party, the Washington County Election Board, and Stephanie Rockey, the Washington County Clerk.
On November 19, Medlock added two more notices – both to impound and provide for the protection of all election materials.
Washington County Sheriff Brent Miller was required to impound and place in a secured location and provide for the protection of all ballots and electronic voting systems used in the Nov. 5 election.
Also, all tally sheets relating to the votes cast and all the poll lists of persons registered by the poll clerks that voted in the City of Salem general election on November 5.
In addition, Medlock is requiring the actual MBB cards of Salem Districts 1-4 Electronic Voting Systems, Mayor-Elect Justin Green’s filings for election in 2019 and all keys of the County Clerk for the secured location.
There is a pre-trial conference set for Dec. 11 at 3p in Circuit Court for both parties to attend.
