RAYMOND – A violation of state election statute involving a Raymond selectman seeking re-election has been corrected, according to town officials.

On Tuesday, March 11, Deputy Clerk Sue Carr provided Selectman Lawrence “Lonnie” Taylor with nomination papers for his candidacy in the June 10 election. But according to town officials, Carr should not have distributed the papers until Friday, in order for the town’s election process to meet the requirements of state statute. At the selectmen’s meeting that evening, when Taylor asked Sam Gifford, the board’s chair, to sign his papers, Selectman Mike Reynolds intervened.

“I was the one who pointed out to Lonnie Taylor that he couldn’t use the papers when I heard him ask Chairman Gifford if he would sign the papers,” Reynolds said. “I told him that papers weren’t supposed to be available until Friday, and we couldn’t sign the papers.”

State statute holds that the town should set a filing deadline for nomination papers 45 days before Election Day. According to the statute, potential candidates are allowed to take out papers 40 days before the filing deadline. In Raymond, candidates must acquire 25 signatures in order to make the ballot.

Given these guidelines, town officials set the beginning of the nomination period on Friday, March 14, and a filing deadline on April 25.

The town has since voided Taylor’s papers. According to Louise Lester, the town’s clerk, Taylor’s wife returned the papers on Tuesday.

“The girls in the office didn’t understand that they shouldn’t go out until Friday,” Lester said. “Theoretically, it’s my fault, because I didn’t inform the rest of the office.”

Taylor said that he had gone to the town office to register a vehicle, and figured he could take out his nomination papers, as well.

“It was a pretty minor situation,” Taylor said. “What ended up happening was I went to the town hall before the meeting and had asked one of the girls that worked there if I was able to get the papers out and they weren’t sure if they could or not … so she filled it out and gave it to me.”

“She didn’t realize she was doing wrong, and I didn’t realize I was doing wrong,” Taylor added.

Lawrence “Lonnie” Taylor