A former longtime Surrey city councillor who has been denied from running as a candidate in the upcoming provincial election is "on the edge of taking legal action" against Elections B.C. for what she is calling a mistake.
Judy Higginbotham was a councillor in Surrey for 25 years from 1983 to 2008. The longtime politician was planning on venturing into provincial politics this election campaign, but after filing with Elections B.C. for the riding of Surrey North, her application was denied due to it being incomplete and not meeting the Election Act requirements, according to a representative from Elections B.C.
Vying for an independent seat, Higginbotham said in a press release that her fight to be on the ballot is not stopping, although the deadline was Saturday, Sept. 28 at 1 p.m.
“Emails, phone calls and lawyer letters back and forth plus a closed Elections BC office over the long weekend have eaten up scarce time and kept me from campaigning," Higginbotham said.
“As one of the several moderate centrists (from a provincial 'Liberal' political home abandoned by conniving Conservatives), I am seeking to offer BC voters an alternative to the excesses of the NDP left and Conservative right-wing. I am determined to overcome this nomination acceptance setback because people in Surrey North are urging me to persevere in this quest to get on the ballot. I am honoured that many feel I can deliver an experienced, middle-of-the-road alternative perspective towards public policy as Surrey North’s MLA.”
The former Surrey councillor says her application was rejected due to "technical issues" that are "unfounded," leading her to consider taking legal action against Elections B.C.
While Elections B.C. did not disclose details as to what details were incomplete in Higginbotham's application, she says she was told that her application did not have enough signatures and that three of them were invalid. According to her press release, Higginbotham collected 90 signatures, making her application above the 75 minimum.
She also claimed that Elections B.C. prevented Higginbotham from describing herself as an independent Liberal candidate on the ballot.
Higginbotham "and many other such independent candidacies have been denied their preferred liberal party brand by Elections B.C. Since Kevin Falcon’s bombshell abandonment of all candidacies of the BC United Party (formerly B.C. Liberals) in favour of the Conservatives, owing to a technicality, Elections B.C. has permitted B.C. United to deny Higginbotham and anyone else from citing their 'Liberal' values on the ballot."
Her home address was also not included on all of the necessary forms, Higginbotham added.
“If a second recording of my address was absolutely essential (since I did put my address on one of the forms, while also stating that for security purposes I preferred it to be kept private), I ask why the local Elections B.C. official took the package from me and announced “You are ‘good to go’?”
“I am a fighter when necessary, and this fight to be able to stand up for liberal values on the ballot this election is well worth it. My determination illustrates the tenacity I have in me — always to be resolute in standing up before bureaucracy for the betterment of the constituents of Surrey North."