BELLINGHAM, Wash. – An activist who hopes to become Bellingham’s next mayor is looking to the courts to get his name on the primary ballot.

Joel Johnson turned petitions with 2,500 signatures into the county auditor’s office in lieu of paying the $2,211 filing fee.

He needed 2,211 valid voter signatures, but the auditor found that only 1,750 were legitimate.

But Johnson says the process was not fair.

“What I’m alleging is that what seems like a training and practice session as people were learning to use this first-ever-used software to verify the petitions, there were irregularities in the process,” said Johnson.

He has a hearing in Whatcom Superior Court on Tuesday, June 6th.

His hope is that the judge will order his name to be placed on the primary ballot or at least halt printing of the mayoral ballot until the issue is resolved.