Candidate Lin's residency challenged

EPHRATA — Dave Canfield filed a challenge with the Grant County Auditor claiming prosecutor candidate Albert Lin doesn’t live in the county.

Lin’s campaign manager Kevin Moore denies the allegation.

Canfield’s allegation is a challenge to Lin’s eligibility to run for election office in Grant County.

To be able to run for office, Lin must meet the same requirements of residency as a registered voter.

To vote, a person is required by state law to have a residence in the county, Grant County Auditor Bill Varney said. The idea behind the statute was to challenge ballots of people who moved away from the area, but voted anyway.

Using records from Lin’s divorce, Canfield alleges Lin moved to Silverdale after taking a job at the Seattle law firm McCarthy Holthus. He claims that court records show Lin moved to Seattle on June 13.

“Lin does not maintain his abode in Grant County,” Canfield wrote. “His wife is solely responsible for maintaining the home.”

Moore said Lin still maintains his residence on Patrick Road in Ephrata by living there two days a week. The records state the candidate spends weekdays in Seattle, before coming back to Grant County on the weekends.

“He needs to work,” he said. “But he’s still living here. He’s still paying taxes.”

Lin is being required to leave the residence, but not until Nov. 10, according to court records.

The issue will go to the canvassing board for a hearing.

The main issue is the state’s definition of residence, which is defined as “a person’s permanent address where he or she physically resides and maintains his or her abode.”

Varney said people can have more than one residence and maintain their voter registration as long as they don’t register in more than one place.

“There’s been cases in the past of people serving in the Legislature, who live in an apartment during session and then move to a different area when it’s not in session,” he said. “(The law) doesn’t say for any amount of time. It just says, ‘as long as they reside there.’ They have to maintain and live in the residence part of the year.”

The canvassing board is comprised of the auditor, county commissioner chair and prosecutor.

Katie Blinn, the state’s assistant director of elections, was appointed to represent the prosecutor on the canvassing board.

“It is clear that the best course of action on this matter is to appoint a special deputy prosecutor to the canvassing board to hear this challenge,” Grant County Prosecutor Angus Lee stated. “Upon appointment, the special deputy prosecutor shall have sole and exclusive power and authority to act as the prosecuting attorney on this challenge.”

State law required the appointment because Lin is challenging Lee for the position of prosecutor.

Blinn has held the state position since 2005 and is responsible for the state’s election policy, including legislation, regulations and working with the Attorney General’s Office on litigation.

Varney said the board will decide on the evidence presented at the hearing.

“We have the information that was presented by the challenger. The challenger and the challenged party can come and present information there,” he said.

The hearing has yet to be scheduled, Varney added.

Canfield supported Lee by donating $1,000 during the 2009 prosecutor race between Lee and Lin, according to state Public Disclosure Commission records.

Lin declined to comment on the allegations, saying Moore provided the Columbia Basin Herald with a statement.