Judge Upholds Councillor's Inquest, Rules Violation of Voting Procedure

As thousands of Cambridge voters head for the polls today, City Councillor Joseph A. DeGuglielmo '29 has won his inquest petition to have the Court impound all absentee ballots that had been notarized by a man implicated last week in alleged ballot tampering.

District Judge M. Edward Viola yesterday ruled there was reasonable grounds to conclude that a violation of election laws had taken place. He ordered the inquest and placed the original complaint--by a shut-in woman--into the public records.

Viola ordered City Solicitor Richard D. Gerould '24 to instruct all election workers to mark every ballot notarized by this person with the name and address of the voter before these votes are placed in the ballot boxes.

After the count is completed, Gerould is to deliver these specially marked ballots to the District Attorney, who will then investigate the issue and report to the Court Nov. 23, according to Viola's order.

At the polls Cambridge voters will select nine City Councillors from 31 candidates and six School Committemen from 21 candidates. Polls are open from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m.