By JAMES BELL
Hays Post

PJILLIPSBURG — “In five years, I’ve never seen that happen,” said Clay Barker, Kansas GOP director, in response to the group of precinct leaders who were denied their ability to vote after paperwork failed to make it to the correct person.

“There was a large group of precinct leaders that, the list went to the Clerk, the officers thought the county chair was OK with it, he claims he never saw it until today,” Barker said.

At the heart of the situation is the person that holds the county chair position, Robert Pinkerton, who was in charge of calling the meeting Thursday to appoint a replacement for former state Rep. Travis Couture-Lovelady. Pinkerton also was in the running for the seat, eventually won by Ken Rahjes.

Several of the disenfranchised leaders indicated Pinkerton would not have received their vote.

Despite objections from the group unable to vote, the meeting continued, although 20 minutes later than planed.

“It was a strict rule of law, because someone had to challenge the result that those 13 couldn’t have voted,” Barker said.

As the meeting was political rather than governmental, neither the Secretary of State nor the Kansas Attorney General could offer resolution.

“It was something really of beauty but kind of a mess. It’s Democracy and it works so great,” said Rahjes, who won the seat after two rounds of voting. “Politics is local … and we saw that tonight here.”

The total group of voters included in the process numbered 57, with 20 proxy votes being counted through the 37 precinct leaders eligible to vote.