Administrator of Elections Steve Gaddis has decided not to publish a sample ballot in the Polk County News, despite a Tennessee law that requires him do so.

Tennessee Code Annotated 2-12-111 regarding notices of elections states, “(c) The county election commission shall publish, in a newspaper of general circulation in the county, notice of every election, stating the day, time and polling places for the election, not more than ten (10) nor less than three (3) days before the election.”

According to Gaddis, a sample ballot was printed Bradley County’s Cleveland Daily Banner and the Blue Ridge, GA News-Observer. When asked why he he chose not to publish in the Polk County News, Gaddis said, “I just did.” He said he got caught at the last minute and “that’s what I decided to do.”

When pressed for further answer, Gaddis said he was just “really dissastisfied” with the local newspaper. He referenced a recent typo in the paper before hanging up the phone.

According to the County Executive’s office, Gaddis has spent $1944.90 of the $2000 budgeted for public notices. Out of four purchase orders requested by Gaddis, two were for the News-Observer, one for the Polk County News and one for the Cleveland Daily Banner. Another election is slated for November.

County Executive Hoyt Firestone said he would rather see the money stay in the county, adding he didn’t know why the administrator would want to publish the county’s sample ballot outside the county. “It’s never been like this before,” Firestone said.

Election Commissioner Mac York said he had called Nashville and asked them why Polk County couldn’t get any help from them. He said the News-Observer and Banner were not of general circulation in Polk County.

Cheryl Buehler, Publisher of the Polk County News said she could not fathom why anyone would want to deprive the citizens in Polk County the right to see who was on the ballot for Thursdays election.

“This is America,” Buehler said, adding, “if our right to know who we are voting for is taken away, and the process of electing the people who run our country is sullied, what will we have left?”

Blake Fontenay, spokesperson for the State election office said he was unable to comment on the issue.