Pictured is a sample ballot compared to the postcard sent by mail paid for by the New York State Democratic Committee.

Fredonia activist Mark Twichell alerted the OBSERVER Wednesday that a sample ballot mailed to local Democrats omitted two village trustee candidates. He’s filing complaints about it.

“The omission of candidates James Lynden and Michael Barris leaves only candidate Ben Brauchler for trustee on the altered sample ballot,” he wrote via email.

“Voters may be confused later when considering an official ballot from Chautauqua County Board of Elections with its full slate of Democratic candidates,” Twichell added. “With so much concern voiced lately for the integrity of the electoral process, Fredonia-Pomfret Democrats might have offered transparency in their demotion of endorsed candidates.”

Twichell, a Democrat himself, is married to Michelle Twichell, a Fredonia Trustee who is also a Democrat. Her seat is not up for election this year.

The New York State Democratic Committee paid for the ballot mailer. Its return address in New York City appears on it.

Mark Twichell told the OBSERVER he filed complaints about the mailer with the Democratic Commission and the state’s Board of Elections’ Division of Election Law Enforcement (DELE).

He wrote to the organization, “In effect the altered sample ballot is a directive to cast a bullet vote for the only candidate listed for the office of trustee. …The altered sample ballot infers that the two Democrat candidates omitted have somehow been de-endorsed, when no such announcement has been provided to voters by Fredonia-Pomfret Democrats.”

Conspiracy theorists will note that Barris and Lynden are wary of a proposal to get Fredonia’s water from the city of Dunkirk, while Brauchler is all for it — judging by comments the men made at a recent debate.

Marcia Johnson, who serves as Chautauqua County Democratic Chair and chair of the Fredonia-Pomfret Democratic Association, said the mailer is a product of two different directions taking place before this election.

“As dictated by state Election law, there is a process for endorsing candidates, which was followed by the Pomfret Democratic Committee,” she said. “In a democratic vote, the committee chose Michael Ferguson as our endorsed candidate for mayor of Fredonia. Unfortunately, an elected Committee Member and two trustee candidates decided to ignore the committee’s endorsement, and mounted a campaign separate from those of the Democratic Party. One candidate is obviously endorsing the individual challenging Mr. Ferguson, and the other is acting as her treasurer.

“The Fredonia-Pomfret Democratic Association decides who they are going to promote for election to office. They have chosen to support those individuals who align with their vision for the future of our community.

“As always, we encourage people to vote.”