Three school board candidates in Cumberland County are suing County Clerk Celeste Riley, alleging the clerk’s office conducted a redraw of ballot slots without properly informing them.
Riley, who is running for reelection, has recused herself from matters relating to November’s ballot, but the suit says Deputy Clerk Sandra Olbrich’s decision to conduct a redraw on Aug. 30 was not properly relayed to the candidates, who are seeking three school board seats in Bridgeton. The three candidates had received preferential placement on a prior Aug. 12 drawing, which placed them first, second, and third; the redraw, meanwhile, placed them second, fourth, and fifth.
Cumberland officials redrew the entire ballot on Aug. 30 while facing a different lawsuit. The Cumberland GOP filed suit against the Democratic-controlled Clerk’s Office last month because of a switch away from the party line, and the office signaled it would conduct a redraw soon after.
The three school board candidates, Dionne Edwards, Markida Taylor, and Damita White-Morris, are part of the “Team Impact” school board slate in Bridgeton. Edwards and Taylor are running for reelection; White-Morris was previously a candidate for State Assembly last year.
The three said in the suit that they believed the redraw happened because of the GOP suit but argued their nonpartisan ballot slots should have been unaffected by such a redraw. The trio of candidates asked a judge to require the clerk to use the results of the Aug. 12 ballot drawing.
Olbrich was not immediately available for comment.