A Ramapo Republican candidate for supervisor could get a second shot at getting his name on the Sept. 15 primary ballot.

A state Appellate Division panel yesterday told Supreme Court Justice Margaret Garvey to allow Robert Romanowski  a hearing. He can then offer evidence to explain the alterations on his nominating petitions.

Garvey scheduled the hearing for tomorrow morning in her courtroom at the Rockland Courthouse in New City.

Garvey had ruled the uninitialed and unexplained changes to witnesses statements disaqualified Romanowski’s petitions. The decision also booted Mark Lehr from the Republican primary ballot for town judge. He remains off the ballot even the appellate panel decision.

State election law allows nullification if the change goes unexplained. If there’s an explaination, the petition could be held valid.

“Romanowski was not afforded an opportunity to offer evidence relating to these alterations,” the panel ruled. “Under these circumstances, we remit the matter to the [*2]Supreme Court, Rockland County, for an evidentiary hearing on the uninitialed alterations at issue, and thereafter for a new determination of that branch of the petition which was to invalidate the designating petition insofar as it relates to Romanowski.”

Garvery’s ruling left Ramapo Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence, a Democrat, running unopposed on the Republican ballot line. Romanowski wants to challenge St. Lawrence for the GOP line.

Romanowski remains off the ballot until he petitions Garvey for a hearing.  Garvey could decide against him at the hearing.

The Rockland Board of Elections had upheld his petitions before the papers were taken before Garvey.

The Appellate Division ruling is here.