Cooper switches focus to ballots

CHARLESTON - After a referendum he helped create was voted down, South Charleston attorney Thornton Cooper turned his attention to Kanawha County voting ballots.

Cooper, a member of the Democratic Executive Committee, claimed the ballots that are to be used in November were illegal, but an emergency meeting of Kanawha County ballot commissioners resulted in no change.

Cooper recently saw the Charleston User Fee upheld in a special referendum he instigated with a lawsuit. He was hoping to have it voted down.

On the ballots, he said the instructions for how to proceed after voting a straight ticket are on the wrong place, the two columns are not staggered, the words "Democrat" and "Republican" are abbreviated and there is no line or division between candidates of different parties.

However, the ballot commission did not feel that warranted any change. Cooper reportedly said he will not appeal.

Four years ago, Cooper caught a mistake on absentee ballots that listed a levy rate of $1,200 for buses and ambulances instead of $12.4 million.

Cooper lost in May's primary to Brooks McCabe for a spot in the State Senate.