Candidate removal from ballot

Our HOA has an Election Oversight Committee to run its elections. A candidate in an upcoming election sent out an email that stated an inaccurate opinion of the incumbent candidate. Both candidates signed a Code of Ethics to be fair in all campaign communication. We asked that this candidate issue a retraction. The candidate complied. The incumbent then filed a complaint that the other candidate did not send out the retraction to their full distribution list. How the incumbent would know this is beyond me. We asked for proof that candidate sent the retraction to everyone but they stated they deleted the emails after we confirmed they complied. Several committee members want to remove candidate from ballot for non-compliance but I disagree and no where in our election guidelines do we have the right to remove a candidate from the ballot for anything. Opinions?

Ha. Exactly. This is way more than I bargained for. We omitted a return envelope for absentee ballots. There was an envelope included in previous years. I think we just overlooked it but I'm not so sure that was just a mistake anymore as I'm the new person on the committee. The candidate stated in an email that omitting the envelope was a clear indication, in his opinion, that the incumbent didn't want to make it easy for residents to vote. Since the incumbent wasn't involved in the envelope decision, we requested a retraction. I realize, however, that we are appointed to this committee by the Board that includes the incumbent so while I agree that his comment wasn't accurate, he did state it was his opinion. My opinion is that we shouldnt regulate campaign speech but I was over ruled. There are several of us on the original email that received the retraction email but the committee chair wants to vote this week to remove the candidate. This just seems crazy to me.

Give your voters some credit - a missing envelope is not the work of a single person. Most folks would regard that remark as just junk . . .

I say let the cards lie where they fall. Hold the election as is.

If this person is elected and continues that kind of attacks, then a recall or removal is in order.

This is not an "Ethics" issue, IMHO.