Boston appeals court set to hear arguments over disputed ballots in Puerto Rico's gubernatorial election
Sunday December 12, 2004
By FRANK GRIFFITHS
Associated Press Writer
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) With no victor in sight, Puerto Rico has been wrangling for more than a month over disputed ballots in a governor's race that may ultimately be decided in the Boston appeals court. Arguments are set to begin Monday.
The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will decide whether the island's Supreme Court or a U.S. district judge in San Juan should have jurisdiction over thousands of disputed ballots favoring pro-commonwealth candidate Anibal Acevedo Vila of the Popular Democratic Party.
Preliminary election results from Nov. 2 showed Acevedo Vila narrowly ahead of pro-statehood contender, former Gov. Pedro Rossello of the New Progressive Party 48.38 to 48.18 percent.On the ballots in question, voters marked an 'x' for the tiny Independence Party, but they also put marks next to the names of Acevedo Vila and Roberto Prats, the Popular Democratic Party's candidate for nonvoting delegate to U.S. Congress.
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Puerto Rico's Bar Association will attend the Boston hearings, arguing the territory's Supreme Court should have jurisdiction in interpreting the island's electoral laws and not U.S. courts.
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