State Sen. Albert HaleDespite a challenge by opponent Royce Jenkins, state Sen. Albert Hale (D-Window Rock) is staying on the ballot in the 2nd Legislative District. Jenkins failed to persuade a Maricopa County Superior Court judge that a number of signatures on Hale's nominating petition should be disqualified, based on the signers giving post office box numbers as their addresses.

Yet even though he tried to use the confusion over whether or not a lack of listed physical address can be used to disqualify a ballot signatory, Jenkins agreed with Hale that the system needs to be sorted out.

"It definitely needs to be fixed" said Jenkins of the process.
The decision whether to disqualify signatures based on a P.O. box number being given instead of physical address is made by the registrars of the counties. Apache County counts them; Navajo doesn't. This most affects residents on reservations, who often live in places without designations by the U.S. Postal Service.

"At our level, they need to clarify the process," said Hale, agreeing with his challenger.

Joseph Heilman, the judge presiding, said he was not taking a stance on the issue by ruling for Hale.

"Courts are loathe to decide things they don't have to decide," asserted Heilman, who said his decision to find that Hale had gathered a significant number of valid signatures to qualify for the ballot was based on the Jenkins' inability to prove his case.

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