TH_Designs

The judge overseeing a lawsuit to remove signatures from the petition to eliminate racing from the Nashville Fairgrounds charter through a referendum vote has dismissed said suit after a Tuesday hearing. The judge ruled on Wednesday that the Davidson County Election Commission is required to verify signatures but does not require a process allowing voters to withdraw their names. Judge Martin also asked the legal petitioners, including Devra Bagwell, why she and those sharing her concerns couldn't reach out to the petition authors/respondants Restore Our Fairgrounds for removal and they stated that the ROF required an extra step of verification. Restore Our Fairgrounds canvassers have been accused of misleading would-be signers, telling them that racing has already been discontinued, or not disclosing that the petition sought to end racing. For their part, Restore Our Fairgrounds says pro-speedway supporters fear facing the voters out of fear of losing. Plaintiffs 'Decline To Sign' said it will move on to other potential legal remedies, including sending the matter to a higher court for review. DTS maintains that over 2000 signatures asked to have their names removed prior to certification in vain. ROF says the removed 542 names after conducting follow-up due diligence. 47,679 signatures were validated. 40,194 was needed to get the referendum on a future ballot. Restore Our Fairgrounds seeks to replace racing as a protected Nashville Fairgrounds activity with green space and affordable housing.