A judge ruled last Friday that Los Altos City Council candidate Noah Mesel had substantially followed election law and that his name should remain on the ballot, said Los Altos City Attorney Bob Booth.
"The judge's ruling protects me," Mesel said. If any questions came up later, "anyone could challenge the election."
The issue first came up about two weeks ago when the city learned that Mesel was not registered to vote in Los Altos at the time he took out his council candidate papers. For a candidate's name to go on the ballot, the person must be registered to vote in Los Altos at the time the candidate takes out papers.
When Mesel took out his papers, Aug. 2, he told the city clerk he thought he was registered in Los Altos. He had moved here from Redwood City about seven months earlier.
Mesel said he immediately checked and discovered he was not registered locally. That same day he registered in Los Altos.
"If he'd done the process in the reverse, there would not have been a problem. It was not a huge defect. But I don't have the power to waive state law," Booth said.
"'But I do,'" said Judge Robert Baines, according to Booth. Baines, a judge in Santa Clara County Superior Court in San Jose, heard the motion.
"I feel good" about the decision, Booth said. "We did our job."
Mesel said when the issue first came up, he was "totally surprised. I had been totally candid with Carol (Scharz, the Los Altos city clerk) throughout" the filing process, Mesel said.
"The court acted very quickly - I appreciate that." So quickly, in fact, that following the 11 a.m. court hearing, Mesel made the noontime candidate orientation back in Los Altos.
City Manager Phil Rose led the meeting, with city department heads present to talk about their particular jobs.
This year there was more "emphasis on issues," Booth said.
Mesel said he appreciated hearing about city items "not yet on a front burner. They were good to learn about."
"Hearing about the city's top issues and functional responsibility (of department heads) was extremely helpful," Mesel said.
The other four candidates include the three incumbents, Lou Becker, Francis La Poll and Kris Casto; as well as challengers Mesel and Ron Knecht. All but Becker attended the orientation.