Hanson v. Garland County Election Commission ( 1986 )

Steele Hays, Justice.

On April 8, 1986 the people of Hot Springs voted in a special election to change their government to the city manager form pursuant to Act 99 of 1921. The vote was 4,018 for to 2,663 against. The Garland County Election Commission certified the election results to the mayor on April 23 and he issued a proclamation calling for a special election on June 17 to elect four city directors.

On May 22, within the time allowed under Ark. Stat. Ann. § 19-111 (Repl. 1980) to contest an election (thirty days), appellant Robert Hanson brought this suit for declaratory judgment and injunctive relief in the Circuit Court of Garland County. The respondents are members of the election commission. The complaint alleged the proposed change in city government was an initiated procedure and therefore subject to the provisions of Amendment VII of the Arkansas Constitution. The complaint further stated because the amendment requires initiated proposals to be submitted to the electorate at general, rather than special elections, the April 8 election was in violation of Amendment VII and should be held void.

As an advanced case, trial was set for June 6 and on that date, 44 days after certification of the election, Hanson filed an amendment to his complaint alleging the issue had been submitted to the voters under an improper ballot title. The respondents immediately objected to this attempt to amend the complaint after the time allowed by § 19-111. The circuit court held that while the ballot title was not properly presented to the electorate, that issue was not raised within the time allowed under § 19-111. The court also held the only timely issue presented was whether a petition for a city manager form of government was an initiated proposal and subject to Amendment VII. Relying on Dingle v. City of Eureka Springs, 242 Ark. 382, 413 S.W.2d 641 (1967) and Knowlton v. Walton, 189 Ark. 901, 75 S.W.2d 811 (1934), the trial judge held in favor of the respondents and dismissed the complaint.

Appellant’s brief before this court asserts only one issue is presented for decision — whether or not the trial court was correct in holding the amendment to the complaint was filed out of time. That holding was correct.

Ark. Stat. Ann. § 19-111 provides in part:

The election thereupon shall be conducted, the votes canvassed, and the results declared in the same manner as is provided by law with respect to other city elections. The county board of election commissioners shall certify the results of any such election to the mayor, and the result so certified shall be conclusive and not subject to attack unless suit is brought to contest such certification within thirty (30) days after such certification in the Circuit Court of the county in which such municipality is situated.

In Jones v. Ethridge, 242 Ark. 907, 416 S.W.2d 306 (1967) and Cain v. McGregor, 182 Ark. 633, 32 S.W.2d 319 (1930) we held that new grounds of contesting an election may not be raised by amendment after the statutory .period has expired.

Appellant urges that this case is distinguishable in that in those cases no cause of action was stated in the original complaint contesting an election, and we held in that situation the complaint may not be amended out of time. Appellant argues the cases do not hold that a legitimate cause of action may not be later amended to raise a legitimate legal issue. We disagree. The obvious purpose behind the requirement in our election statutes for a timely challenge to election results is so the elective process will not be unduly delayed, hence the issues must be promptly raised and promptly decided. We have said the right to contest a primary election is a statutory proceeding, the purpose of which is to furnish a summary remedy and to secure a speedy trial. And the contestant is limited to the grounds set out in his original complaint, and those grounds cannot be enlarged by subsequent amendment not made within the time required by the statute for contesting. Gower v. Johnson, 173 Ark. 120, 292 S.W. 382 (1927); Bland v. Benton, 171 Ark. 805, 286 S.W. 976 (1926). If one could defeat the time limitation simply by filing a timely cause of action and then amending it at his leisure the purpose of the statute would be plainly defeated.

Appellant argues that ARCP Rule 15(c) provides that an amendment arising out of the conduct, transaction or occurrence set forth in the original pleading relates back to the date of such pleading. But we believe election contests are subject to ARCP Rule 81, which excepts from the applicability of the rules “those instances where a statute which creates a right, remedy or proceeding specifically provides a different procedure in which event the procedure so specified shall apply.” See Travelodge International Inc. v. Handleman National Book Company, 288 Ark. 368, 705 S.W.2d 440 (1986).

Affirmed.

Purtle, J., and Newbern, J., dissenting.