Vogiatzakis fighting for political life

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This article was published 18/09/2014 (4316 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A WINNIPEG funeral director stood inside his chapel to proclaim his campaign for mayor is not dead.

Mike Vogiatzakis said Wednesday he does not accept he failed to meet the Tuesday deadline to submit valid nomination papers.

Candidates for mayor had 132 days to find and compile the names, signatures and addresses of 250 nominees who appear on the city’s voters list — and a one-week window to submit the paperwork.

Vogiatzakis submitted his papers on the final day, but did not have 250 valid signatures by 4:30 p.m. He conceded he could have submitted papers earlier, but was too busy with work.

There should be an appeals process, he said, asking election officials to reconsider. He also said he has called on outgoing Mayor Sam Katz to help him get on to the ballot.

Senior election official Marc Lemoine said Vogiatzakis’s only recourse is to file a complaint with the Court of Queen’s Bench and challenge the process. Ed Ackerman, one of four mayoral candidates who didn’t make the nomination deadline in 2010, tried this and failed.

Hazem Aslan, another registered candidate who failed to make the deadline, said in a statement all Winnipeggers over 18 should be on the voters list.

 

— Bartley Kives, Aldo Santin