Fun With Domicile (cont.): The Case of the Red Pickup Truck
[Image courtesy of msnbc]
The issue of domicile has been a recurring theme in the “pages” of this blog over the last year. That’s partly because the issue is so hard to get one’s hands on – and partly because the stories involved are fascinating (and more than a little humorous) because of the facts involved.
Our latest episode of Adventures in Domicile comes to us from Spokane County, WA where a dispute has erupted over whether or not Democrat John Roskelley is eligible to run for County Commission District 1. The Spokesman-Review has more:
A Republican-backed challenge of the Democrat’s voter registration was dismissed on Wednesday, clearing the way for Roskelley’s name to appear on the primary election ballot in the District 1 county commissioner race against Republican incumbent Todd Mielke.
Spokane County GOP Chairman Matthew Pederson brought the voter registration challenge, contending that Roskelley was not living at undeveloped property he owns in District 1. That made him ineligible as a district voter to file for the commissioner office and appear on the ballot, Pederson argued in the case.
Roskelley moved a motor home to the site on East Heron Lane last Sunday after living temporarily with his son in north Spokane. The son’s residence is outside of District 1.
But Roskelley had registered to vote at the East Heron location earlier this year and filed for office on May 16 while making plans to build a home at the property.
The dispute has already been through several levels of challenges, including the county election office, where the acting county auditor found that Roskelley’s domicile was properly at the East Huron address.
Undeterred, Pedersen and the county GOP are weighing an appeal and are planning to introduce evidence that Roskelley does not in fact live at his registration address, including the family’s motor home – and another “star witness,” Roskelley’s red pickup truck:
Roskelley also criticized the GOP and [his opponent, Todd] Mielke after Pederson testified that Roskelley’s red pickup had been witnessed parked earlier this year at his son’s home at different hours of the day and night.
Roskelley said that kind of sleuthing “reflects badly on the Republican Party and my opponent.”
Mielke said the son’s home is next to an arterial and on his way to and from downtown.
In some ways, these fights are amusing; but more importantly, they are a constant reminder of how treacherous domicile can be – and how disputes over domicile can cloud an election process that needs a degree of clarity to function properly.