Suffolk elections board rejects Stop LIPA ballot line

The Suffolk Board of Elections has knocked out Huntington Republicans' bid to get a separate Stop LIPA independent ballot line because party officials put the wrong election date on their petitions.

The ruling comes after town Democrats last week filed specific objections to the 2,000 petition signatures filed by Republicans, maintaining that the GOP erroneously listed the date of the Sept. 13 primary on their petition rather than Nov. 7, the date for the general election for which they wanted the ballot line.

Republicans were hoping to capitalize on the town’s dispute with the Long Island Power Authority over the property tax assessment at the utility’s Northport power plant. But Republican elections commissioner Nicholas LaLota joined Democratic commissioner Anita Katz in throwing out the petition. “They made a mistake and we held them accountable,” said Suffolk Democratic chairman Richard Schaffer. Toni Tepe, town GOP chair, did not return calls for comment.