Ketchum mayoral candidate responds to Blaine County Clerk ruling him ineligible

HAILEY, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — Peter Prekeges emailed a statement on Saturday calling for supporters to help challenge the Blaine County Clerk’s ruling that he is ineligible to run for mayor of Ketchum.

Prekeges “submitted a Declaration of Candidacy to the Ketchum City Clerk, who certified the filing and forwarded it to the County Clerk’s Office, using a form provided by the Idaho Secretary of State’s office,” according to a press release from Blaine County Clerk Stephen Graham.

However, the County Clerk found that Prekeges claimed a homeowners’ exemption in Hailey, not Ketchum. Under Idaho code, this would make his legal residence for voting purposes Hailey. Idaho law requires candidates to be residents of the city where they seek election, which Prekeges does not meet, according to the release.

“As Chief Elections Official, I am responsible for ensuring the consistent application of state election laws, including candidate eligibility requirements under Idaho Code,” wrote Graham.

The City of Ketchum mayoral race is now uncontested, as Prekeges was the only other certified candidate; therefore, per Idaho code, the race will not appear on the November ballot. However, voters in Ketchum will still decide whether to adopt an alternative form of city government.

The County Clerk is also challenging Prekeges’ voter registration under Idaho Code §34-432(3), which states, “The county clerk may make inquiry into the validity of any registration at any time. The inquiry shall proceed as provided in this section.”

“When Mr. Prekeges registered as a Ketchum voter, he was able to provide sufficient documentation to demonstrate his residency according to law. The fact that Mr. Prekeges was able to register as a Ketchum voter and be certified as a qualified candidate despite having an active homeowner’s exemption in Hailey highlights a deeper issue that’s larger than this particular situation: whether the current statute appropriately treats the exemption as the primary determinator of voting residence. This situation also underscores the need for the State of Idaho to provide a centralized, accurate database of homeowner exemptions so county election officials can effectively enforce the law statewide,” explained Graham.

Prekeges responded to Graham with a letter expressing his concern over the situation, claiming there was a discrepancy over the date the Declaration of Candidacy letter was received. He also states, “had you acted in a timely manner on Aug. 27, regarding the ‘homeowners exemption statute,’ other candidates would have come forward to run.”

In the letter, Prekeges claims the delay aimed to prevent other candidates from running, “thus making the ‘council manager’ form of government a sure winner.” He ends his letter with a request “to reopen up a two-day filing period for others to run for Ketchum Mayor.”

Prekeges still can challenge this conclusion in district court, as stated under Idaho Code §34-219(1) and pointed out in the release from Graham. “A person excluded from the ballot pursuant to this subsection may challenge such exclusion in the district court in which the person’s residence for voting purposes is located,” states the Idaho Code.

The deadline to file a complaint is Sept. 19, according to the Idaho Secretary of State.

“My office remains committed to the fair, transparent, and consistent enforcement of Idaho’s election laws,” said Graham.

Early voting for the election begins Oct. 14, with election day taking place Nov. 4.