Tuesday, August 30, 2011, 2:06 pm News Flash Archive

Details are finally emerging in the election contest filed by Preston Ratliff against Anjuan Brown.

Brown defeated Ratliff by 89 votes for the Democrat nomination for the 3rd District Supervisor race, but Ratliff alleges that many of those votes were illegal.

His complaint may be viewed here: Ratliff Election Contest

In that complaint, Ratliff's attorney Willie Perkins claims that some 152 absentee ballots were fraudulent, because the voters falsely claimed that they would be "outside the county on election day" when in fact they had no such intent. These persons are listed by name in the complaint.

To vote by absentee ballot, a voter must provide a legally sufficient reason, under oath, why he is entitled to cast a vote by absentee ballot.

Perkins also alleges some 5 dozen garden-variety defects in the absentee balloting process which, if true, would invalidate those ballots as well.

He also claims that several named voters committed various acts of fraud that would invalidate their votes.

Under state law, the Leflore County Democrat Executive Committee must now hold a hearing to allow Mr. Ratliff and Mr. Brown to present their evidence and witnesses, and then make a ruling whether to uphold the complaint or reject it.

Either party may then appeal the DEC decision to the Circuit Court.

John Pittman Hey
The Taxpayers Channel

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