Organizers of a petition did not file the nearly 2,000 signatures needed by the deadline to recall the Lincoln County Sheriff.

The Elections Department says the petition was not submitted by the 5:00 p.m. deadline Tuesday night. 

The signatures from 15% of the people registered to vote in the last general election had to be gathered to force a countywide special election. 

A group of Eureka-area residents claim that Lincoln County Sheriff Daryl Anderson failed to adequately investigate six rape cases, an animal cruelty case and also denied a weapons permit without reasonable cause.  

Anderson says the rape complaints were investigated, and some were unfounded while others did not file complaints. Investigators also say there was no evidence the dog was beaten.  

The sheriff says the concealed weapons permit was denied because the applicant was involved with the Freemen uprising of 1996.