COEUR d'ALENE - Local Democrats are calling on the Kootenai County clerk to apologize publicly for what they believe was a mishandling of the candidate filings for the upcoming May primary.

In a letter addressed to Clerk Jim Brannon, Kootenai County Democratic Central Committee Chairman Paula Neils questions why Brannon would change county policy and require all candidates to file in person at the county elections office, without notifying the parties of that change.

"I am writing to protest the handling of a recent, unannounced change in procedure for candidate filing by the Elections Department in Kootenai County," Neils wrote, in the letter addressed to Brannon. "Promulgation of that new procedure has sullied the election process in Kootenai County."

She went on to say that several candidates - both Republicans and Democrats - could be damaged by the change in procedure because many will now have to run as write-in candidates.

Karen Sines said she went to the elections office March 6 with 10 declarations of candidacy for Democratic precinct committeemen and the elections staff would not accept them.

"I definitely got turned away," she said on Tuesday.

Sines said she was told that each candidate would have to file in person because the election staff had to gather some personal contact information and give the candidates a packet of information.

"I questioned this because I have been doing this for years - well at least for the last five years," Sines said. "I questioned it, but they still wouldn't accept them."

Sines said that at least two of those candidates now have to run as write-in candidates because they were out of town and missed the filing deadline.

One candidate was Neils, and the other was Dr. Justin StormoGipson.

In her letter, Neils said that others were eventually allowed to file for multiple candidates after complaining about the procedure. She specified that Sandy Patano was allowed to file for multiple Republican precinct committeemen.

"When (Patano) repeatedly pressed the point that these folks were unable to file in person because they were out of town, those four filings were permitted," the letter said.

Brannon said one candidate approached him about the procedure early in the filing period and he made sure that his staff understood that no one was to be turned away. If someone was turned away, he said it must have been a communication breakdown.

"I think the problem was this person didn't communicate our message well, or we didn't communicate our message well," Brannon said. "Either way, communications broke down and it was unfortunate."

The filing procedure was changed to streamline the filing process, he added. The clerk said his office was looking at Idaho code and read that "each" candidate was required to file a declaration of candidacy with the county clerk.

"We interpreted that to say that 'each' candidate had to file their own declaration," he said. "But if someone was out of town we weren't going to prevent them from filing."

Chief Deputy Tim Hurst, with the Idaho Secretary of State's office, said there is nothing in Idaho code that would allow the clerk's office to waive the filing deadline and allow those names on the ballot.

"There really is nothing we can do," Hurst said. "But if they (Democrats) wanted to, they could take it to court to try and get the names on the ballot."

Neils said the Democrats have discussed the issue with Attorney Scott Reed, but decided not to pursue a lawsuit.

"Some would like to push to get our names on the ballot," Neils said. "But we have got enough on our plates, and we are not prepared to do that."

She said the central committee decided a public apology and a promise to stop requiring in-person filing would be a sufficient remedy.

"We do apologize for the confusion," Brannon said during an interview Tuesday. "We will do better in the future."