thwarted democracy

Here in San Diego, a lot of people really dislike the mayor (Dick Murphy). Neither do they like Murphy's challenger, Ron Roberts. Given the choice of two sucky candidates, last Tuesday a full 35 percent of San Diego voters, 181,544 people, wrote in a third-party candidate (amazing, huh). Turns out that Murphy got 34% of the vote and Roberts got 31%. Although it hasn't been determined yet who the write-in votes went to, it's a virtual certainty that they are for Donna Frye, who ran an extremely successful grass-roots campaign.

There have been write in spaces on ballots in SD mayoral elections for years, and the city has always recognized this method of voting in the past. The municipal code expressly allows write-in candidates. BUT yesterday, a supporter of Roberts filed suit to declare the election results ILLEGAL, because a provision of the city charter appears to limit elections to two candidates.

I am dismayed beyond belief at this unfortunate turn of events. Do the other candidates think that if Frye were to be thrown out, that the 35% who wrote her name on their ballots would take this lying down? They are trying to disenfranchise 35 percent of the city! Shameful, shameful.

***UPDATE***
This just in, from my overcaffeinated rambling incoherent roommate (she has a point):

anyhow, about donna frye, something
interesting: apparently, the mayoral race this time around is a run
off, which means that the two candidates were the ones who survived
the first round and since none of them had the majority vote they had
to do it the second time. given this new info, it makes a lot more
sense why they wouldn't allow write ins, since that would defeat the
purpose of a run off altogether. it would be like 5 people playing a
game and 2 tied and in the sudden death round a 3rd person springs up
to play and wins. that's not really fair. So I guess now that i think
about it i do see arguments against it, and at this point, they are
pretty convincing... on a completely unrelated side note, i broke out
in hives today, must be something i ate during dinner that triggered
an allergic reaction, that's nice. I also haven't studied, but I have
watched a movie, half a tv show, and some of the country music award..
*sigh* we really need that big desk out there so I can glue my butt to
it... wow, i am so random right now, maybe i shouldn't have taken 3
zyrtecs? oh and guess what??? caffeine might prevent women from
getting type 2 diabetes!!! YEAH BABY! see, i'm drinking to my health,
i'm not off the wagon...
now just waht do they mean by "don't operate heavy machinary" on
medicine bottles? what is a heavy machinary per ce? is toilet a heavy
machinary? cuz i can operate a toiler. is teh stove a heavey
machinary? cuz it's heavy, it's machine, and its ary, and i can
operate a stove without burning it down, maybe. is the computer a
heavy machinary? what is heavy? if you're superman, does that mean the
rule doens't apply to you? what is machinary? if a tree falls in the
forest and no one is there, does it make a sound? things that makes
you go... hmmmmmmmmmmmmm... ponder away my frined, ponder away...