Title: Coleman v. Sequoyah County Election Bd.
Citation: 1988 OK 96, 59OBJ2442, 762 P.2d 935
Docket Number: 
State: Oklahoma
Issuer: Oklahoma Supreme Court
Date: September 15, 1988

Coleman v. Sequoyah County Election Bd. Annotate this Case Coleman v. Sequoyah County Election Bd. 1988 OK 96 762 P.2d 935 59 OBJ 2442 Case Number: 71661 Decided: 09/15/1988 Supreme Court of Oklahoma ROY COLEMAN, PETITIONER, v. SEQUOYAH COUNTY ELECTION BOARD, RESPONDENT, and WADE STOVALL, INTERVENOR. ORDER [ 762 P.2d 936 ] ¶1 Original jurisdiction is assumed. ¶2 There are no common law pre-election remedies to challenge the qualifications of a candidate for public office. The Legislature has provided in 26 O.S. 1981 § 5-118 the exclusive method for a candidate to contest the candidacy of any other candidate. Murphy v. Darnell, 268 P.2d 860 (Okl. 1954). A petition pursuant to § 5-118 must be filed no later than 5:00 p.m. on the second day following the close of the filing period. 26 O.S. 1981 § 5-119 . A petition for irregularities pursuant to 26 O.S. 1981 § 8-120 may not be used by the petitioner as an alternative remedy to 26 O.S. 1981 § 5-118 . The petitioner's petition filed three days after the primary election and contesting the candidacy of another candidate for the same office is untimely. 26 O.S. 1981 § 5-119 . The application for a writ of mandamus and/or prohibition is denied. ¶3 DOOLIN, C.J., HARGRAVE, V.C.J., and HODGES, LAVENDER, SIMMS, OPALA, ALMA WILSON and SUMMERS, JJ., concur. ¶4 KAUGER, J., disqualified.