By ANDY GARDNER

MASSENA -- The St. Lawrence County Board of Elections is not investigating allegations by Massena's Democratic chairperson that Mayor James Hidy was illegally nominated by the Republican and Conservative parties. St. Lawrence County Democratic Election Commissioner Jennie Bacon says this is because no one has filed formal challenge to the nominations.

"We don't investigate based on news reports," Bacon said. "We are not the election police."

Bacon said her office will look into the matter if someone eligible to vote for the Massena mayor files a challenge.

"If someone from Massena made a challenge, we would investigate further," she said. "They need to be able to vote for that particular office."

Massena Democrat party chairperson Cortney Deshaies released a statement Monday alleging that Hidy was illegally nominated as the Massena Republicans' mayoral candidate. She claims that some of the votes cast in his favor at the Sept. 8 GOP caucus came from people who also had signed his petition to run as an independent candidate. She says state election law forbids an independent petition signer from also voting in a party caucus.

Deshaies further alleges that the Massena Conservatives' nomination is null and void because they did not file a caucus notice with the Board of Elections, in violation of state law.

Bacon verified that the Massena Conservatives did not make such a notification.

"The Board of Elections does not have caucus notice for a Conservative caucus in Massena," Bacon said. "I do not have any results for a Conservative caucus in Massena. I think that's important to note."

She added that the party has until tomorrow to file a certificate of nomination.

Bacon explained that her office is there to certify candidates and election results and doesn't function as an "election police."

"We put the information we're given onto the ballot," she said, adding that their duties include filing voter registration, verifying residency and mailing notices.

Hidy did not immediately return a request for comment.