Evening star., 1944-04-16
Alexandria Set
.ToVoteApri|25
On Council Of I
Whitton Attacks
Electoral Board
On BuIlot Issue

monwealth's attorney. declared yes
terday that the April Is referendum
on whether the city council shall be
composed of seven members chosen
at large will be held as planned
although the Electoral Board has
not had ballots printed.
The statement followed a charge
by Robert Whitton, chairman of g
committee favoring the change, that
James N. Colasanto, secretary of the
Electoral Board. had neglected his
duties" by failing to order ballots
printed.
MIR. Bryan said he had been in
formed that Mr.. Colasanto was
waiting for official notification OF
the passage of the bill by the State
Legislature authorizing the refer
endum.
He added he had called the sec
retarv of the Commonwealth and
asked that a certified copy of the
bill, signed by Gov. Darden March
II, be sent to him at once so that
he could present it to the Electoral
Board at its special meeting to-
morrow.
Attacks Colasanto Statement.
Mr.. Whitton said he discovered
yesterday that no ballots had been
ordered printed. He said he then
got in touch with Mr.. Colasanto who
told him that he knew nothing
whatever about the election
Describing such a statement as
courageous and absurd" Mr.. Whit
ton asserted:
Mr.. Colasanto is a known pro-
ponent of the present ward system
and obviously did not want the elec-
ton held"
Mr.. Colasanto termed Mr.. Whit
tons statements "cowardly, ma
licious, untrue and attributable to
ignorance"
He added he had been a member
of the Electoral Board for six years
and that this is the first time his
actions have been questioned.
He also said that Thursday, when
he had not yet had official notifi-
cation of the election, he wrote the
Attorney General for advice and
received a reply yesterday stating
he believed that in a special election
the Electoral Board had the power
to prepare the ballots.
Notified Board Chairman.
Mr.. Colasanto asserted he imme-
diately notified the chairman of the
board, who called special meeting
for tomorrow.
Frank Goodnow, chairman of the
Electoral Board, said he believed the
newspaper announcements of the
passage of the bill should have been
sufficient notice for the board TO
prepare for the election, but that
he felt it was case of every one
thinking some one else was taking
care of it. He said that no harm
has been done, since they will now
be ordered and will be ready in time.
known as = prpponent cf the change
to an at-large council Mr.. Goodnow
said that he felt sure the mistake
was not intentional, since the off,
cials of the board would have suf-
fered severely from the resultant
criticism if the election had been
made impossible by the lack OF
ballots.
Both Mr. Bryan and Mr.. Goodnow
said that they believed the board
was put on record when tho news
papers carried announcements of
the bills passage, an opinion also
held by Gov. Darden, according to
persons who contacted him Friday
Concern for Service Vote.
Ihe failure to have the ballots
prepared in time will result in the
possible loss of votes by many serv-
lcemen and women who might have
voted absentee ballots. The chief
argument of opponents of the bill
when it was being debated in Rich
mond was the fact that many serv-
lcemen would be deprived of the
opportunity to vote on a change in
government.
Mrs. Beatrice Jameson, executive
secretary of the Council-at-Large
committee, said yesterday that
when she asked Fred Petit. city
registrar, for applications for alb
sentee ballots, she was told that the
committee would have to have them
printed at their own expense.
Since the law requires that alb
sentee ballots be in the hands OF
the registrar five days before the
election, and the ballots probabl,
won't be printed and sent out be.
lore Tuesday or Wednesday, there
appears to be little chance tha
any out-of-town voters will be able
to participate.