Judge's language has some absentee voters regretting decisions

(Eds: Moving on general news and political services.) GREAT FALLS, Mont. (AP) Several absentee voters want their ballots back after voting for a judge in Great Falls, whose coarse Internet postings drew recent news coverage.

Election officials say forget about it.

Peggy Carrico is the Cascade County clerk and recorder. She says they've had some people who wanted to change their ballots, but that's not allowed.

The early voters were apparently reconsidering their votes for Justice of the Peace Sam Harris. The Great Falls Tribune this week reported Harris used vulgarities, and other crude language, in an Internet chat room. Harris acknowledged he wrote the coarse messages.

A county commissioner confirmed that Harris did not use his office computer to send the messages.

Harris is one of two justices of the peace in Cascade County.

His challenger in the November election is Great Falls lawyer Steven Fagenstrom.

Information from: Great Falls Tribune, http://www.greatfallstribune.com (Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 10-05-06 1410CDT | save this article / add to your favorites list