Police Oversight Petition

The Election Commission officially denies the petition to put a new police oversight committee on the March ballot.

The hamilton county election commission denies a petition by the community control coalition that could impact the march 2021 ballot.

News 12's winston reed is live from the election commission office with more.

In order for the community control commission to include a police oversight board on chattanooga's election ballot this march, they needed over 4 thousand signatures and the approval of the hamilton county election commission.

Today, the group attended the a meeting held by the commission only to discover they fell short of their mark.

The hamilton county election commissioner rejected a petition to include a police oversight board on the march 2021 ballot chattanooga because of signature issues.

"we went through every petition, checking every signature."

Administrator of elections scott allen says the petition review , which included two rounds of counting and auditing, was thorough.

"unless you voted in the city limits, meaning you pay city of chattanooga taxes, that signature is not valid."

"i don't understand how so many signatures were tossed out."

A document by the commission explains that the petition was rejected because of invalid signatures, invalid addresses, duplicate signatures, and signatures by non registered voters.

"people who live in hamilton county think they are entitled to sign a city of chattanooga petition."

Activist and chattanooga city council candidate marie mott says the petition never left the city limits.

"they didn't go canvas in east ridge or or the outskirts in the city.

They canvassed right here in the inner city."

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Our coalition will enter a phase where we will verify and validate those names and signatures that were disqualified."

The group will have to wait until august of 2022 to get this ordinance on a ballot.

Reporting live winston