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Thayer Hamann Disqualified From Sag Harbor Ballot

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The Sag Harbor Municipal Building. FILE PHOTO

The Sag Harbor Municipal Building. FILE PHOTO

authorStephen J. Kotz on May 24, 2023

Hilary Thayer Hamann, an 11th-hour addition to the Sag Harbor Village Board election campaign, apparently will not appear on the June 20 ballot after all.

Thayer Hamann, who submitted her petition to run for trustee to Village Clerk Kate Locascio just minutes before the May 16 deadline, failed to submit a second required document, formally accepting the nomination to run, by the 4 p.m. deadline on Friday, May 19, according to Locascio. Instead, she hand-delivered the document on Monday, May 22.

In a series of emails Wednesday morning, Thayer Hamann said she had not received a letter sent by Locascio, dated Wednesday, May 17, informing her that she had to submit a certificate of acceptance of the nominating petition, until after 5 p.m. on Friday, May 19, when it was too late for her to return it on time. She added that she had confirmed the time of delivery with the Sag Harbor postmaster.

“The missed deadline is the result of circumstances that were beyond my control,” she said. “For a qualified candidate to be denied the opportunity to run for office on a technicality due to a choice to rely on ground mail for the issuance, transfer, delivery, receipt, execution and return of time-sensitive ballot eligibility papers is a grossly unfair outcome.”

But in a follow-up letter, dated Monday, May 22, Locascio stated that she had reminded Thayer Hamann of the deadline twice.

“On Tuesday May 16, 2023, when you handed in your petition, I personally advised you that this certificate would be due on Friday, May 19, 2023,” Locascio wrote. “On Friday, May 19, 2023, at approximately 3 p.m. I called your cellphone and reminded you that this certificate was required to be filed that day as a courtesy.”

In her letter, Locascio added that the certificate she received from Thayer Hamann was not properly completed and that, as village clerk, she did not have the authority to extend the deadline. “My apologies, but this procedural defect is fatal to your appearing on the ballot this June,” Locascio stated, adding that she had confirmed that opinion with the village attorney and the attorney who handles election law for the New York Conference of Mayors.

Thayer Hamann in a text message said she planned to follow up her disqualification with the village but did not provide details.

“Elimination by technicality is unfair not only for me in this instance, but for any qualified candidate in any instance, and for the communities they hope to serve, especially given the need and call for greater diversity in government,” she stated. “Sag Harbor residents are again facing an election cycle populated by uncontested incumbents who together represent 60 percent of Village Board of Trustees. With all due respect to current and future leadership, this is not a healthy situation in a democratic system by any conceivable measure.”

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