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Wet petition signature counts challenged Thomasville will be seeking an opinion from the state Attorney General clarifying what election numbers should be used to determine the number required on the certified petition seeking an alcohol sales referendum in Thomasville. State law requires that a certified petition of registered voters represent at least 25 percent of the voter turnout in the last election before the council can consider the request to hold a vote legalizing alcohol sales in the city. Rob Moore, representing the Citizens Against Alcohol Sales in Thomasville told the council Monday night that the group received legal advice from several sources saying the city would have to use the Nov. 7 general election instead of the 2000 municipal election. Less than 1,000 voters cast votes in the last municipal election held in 2000. There was no opposition in 2004, so an election for city officers was not held. More than 1,800 votes were cast in Thomasville during the Nov. 7 general election. With about 200 signatures verified on the current petition on file, about 250 more certifiable signatures would have to be gathered before the petition would satisfy the legal requirements. Day said he thought it would be "impossible" to determine how many of the voters on Nov. 7 actually lived in Thomasville, because Thomasville precincts also host voters from outside the city limits and outside the city's police jurisdiction. Monroeville and Jackson both used the results of their last municipal elections to determine the needed number of verified signatures to call for a vote. The council voted unanimously to pass a resolution directing the city attorney to ask the Attorney General for clarification on the matter. Moore also questioned how signatures were verified. City clerk Deborah Ballard said the names were checked against the county's voter registration list. Names of signers who either lived outside of Thomasville, or did not match the name on the voter list were removed from the petition. Signers who were not registered voters were also removed from the petition. Other signature questions regarded how signatures that showed the same hand were counted, if voters on the list but currently residing outside of the city were counted and if names that were only printed were counted. Moore asked for a copy of the actual petition, stating it was his second request for a copy of the document. He also asked if the council would act on CAAST's request to extend the buffer zone between establishments that sell alcohol and churches and schools, etc. be extended from 300 feet to 500 feet. "Three hundred feet is the highest of any other community we've been able to find," Day replied. "I think at this point, 300 feet is it." Provided the council receives its answer from the attorney general in time and no other changes must be made, it is expected to vote on both the alcohol sales ordinance and set a date for the vote at its next meeting on Feb. 5.
The proposed election date for the council to vote on is expected to be April 24, almost 90 days from the date of the vote.
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