Democratic Party of Collin County

Mr. Yasin Ali has announced his intention to not continue to seek the office of Chairman (County Chair) of the Democratic Party of Collin County, for the May 3, 2010 - May 2012 term, but under Texas law he will remain on the ballot, as explained by County Chair Shawn Stevens:

 

 

On January 22, 2010 I received as the local candidate filing authority a letter from Yasin R. Ali, filed candidate for the office of County Chair of the Democratic Party of Collin County.  In his letter dated January 20th, Mr. Ali stated that it was his "intent to withdraw my name from the Democratic Party candidate in running for the coming elections."

 

In a return letter to Mr. Ali dated January 23, 2010, I stated the following:

 

"It is my duty to inform you that under Texas law -- regardless of your intent to withdraw, and despite your disclosure that 'prior family commitments . . . overseas trips . . . and prior business commitments . . . will not allow [you] to dedicate [yourself] totally and allow time towards the Democratic County Chair duties' -- your name will still appear on the 2010 Democratic Primary ballot in Collin County.

 

The reason your name will still be on the ballot is due to the fact that you filed your candidacy two hours before the filing deadline on January 4, 2010, and the deadline for you to have withdrawn your candidacy was at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, [December] 30, 2009.  Under the application of Texas Election Code Section 172.052, the names of candidates that file after the withdrawal deadline but before the filing deadline will appear on the Primary ballot despite a candidate's intention to not be considered for the office for which they filed.

. . .

 

[Tex. Election Code Section 172.052 provides that a filed candidate in the general primary election that wishes to withdraw must do so by the 62nd day before primary election day.]

 

December 30, 2009 was the 62nd day before the general primary election to be held on March 2, 2010.

 

Therefore, though you may have neither the intention of campaigning for the position of County Chair, nor serving as County Chair, your name will appear on all 2010 Democratic Primary ballots in Collin County.

 

How you address that situation will be up to you as a filed candidate, but as the local filing authority, I have no legal authorization to remove your name from the ballot at this late date."