Fall River City Council candidate Colin Dias challenges signatures of fellow candidate

FALL RIVER — A City Council candidate is challenging the nomination signatures of a fellow candidate and the Board of Elections will hold a hearing on the issue next week.

Collin Dias, running in his first election, filed his objection against Michelle Dionne, alleging that 80 signatures on her nomination papers are either not legally legible or were signed by one person.

Dias said that he reviewed the signatures of other candidates but only chose to challenge Dionne’s paperwork.

The elections board Tuesday scheduled the hearing date for Aug. 12, 6 p.m.

“The burden of proof is on the objector,” said Board of Elections Chairwoman Kelly Sousa-Young.

Dionne said she’s not concerned with Dias’ challenge.

“No, I’m not. I ran two years ago and got those signatures the very same way: by going to people I know and knocking on doors,” said Dionne. “I got 232 signatures and 210 were certified.”

What is concerning to Dionne, she said, is that Dias is questioning the professionalism of the Board of Elections staff who approved the signatures of the registered voters who signed her nomination papers.

“This is not their first rodeo,” said Dionne. “They know what they’re doing.”

Before the March recall election, Jasiel Correia II protested the signatures collected by challengers to his mayoral seat, claiming at the time that signatures had been forged, duplicated or signed by others. The challenge ended when the Board of Elections, which was to rule on the complaint, failed to have quorum.

Correia’s objection ended there and Correia went on to be recalled and then re-elected.

Dias said he looked at Dionne’s and other candidates' nomination papers “equally and cautiously” to determine if the signatures were legitimate.

“With her, a lot are illegible and you can’t read them, and a lot were done with the same handwriting,” Dias said.

Dionne is a known supporter of Correia, while Dias is known to oppose the mayor and participated in the recall election.

However, Dias said his objection to Dionne’s signatures and its validity “has nothing to do with the mayor.”

Email Jo C. Goode at jgoode@heraldnews.com.