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The Board of Elections will meet at 4:30 p.m., Monday to decide “how we will conduct the hearing and who we are going to bring in to testify,” said Board Chairman Mitchell Robinson Friday.
Raleigh attorney Gerald Meek will represent the board at the Dec. 1 hearing.
This is the second consecutive election the Scotland Neck results have ended up in the center of controversy. Mills’ first election landed before the State Board of Elections before it was settled.
Earlier this month, the county board conducted the official canvass of the Nov. 3 vote. Initially, the board approved the count but then members noticed something out of the ordinary.
The panel rescinded the approval and began looking at potential irregularities. On Nov. 13, the three candidates filed protests to the election outcome.
Their challenges included allegations votes were counted from outside the municipality, some voters didn’t sign their registration cards and some voters voted twice.
Friday, the county board met to discuss the legal issues surrounding the controversy. While much of the meeting was a closed session to discuss legal concerns, Robinson did answer questions from the public and the participants.
“Has anything happened to change the totals you came up with from the canvass?” asked Mills. “A few things did happen on election day,” Robinson responded. “But that has not been quantified at this point.”
Robinson explained he did not want to discuss any of the evidence before the hearing, but when asked if there were problems discovered, he said, “I think at this time, this process is needed,”
When asked what would happen at the hearing, Robinson explained evidence from the protests will be heard, people who have been subpoenaed will be called to question and registered voters will be allowed to give any other evidence pertinent to the case. He reminded everyone the speakers would be under oath during the hearing.
Robinson said the board is in close contact with the State Board of Elections and while they may observe, they will not take part in the proceedings.
Comments
Frank Buzerak wrote on Nov 23, 2009 8:23 AM:
The legal and proper method of temporarily setting aside some ballots, due to questions of the home address of certain voters is a natural consequence of the lives and living conditions that poor people must deal with daily. There are people who haven’t been born of privilege, able to own homes and maintain stable home addresses. They must live month to month, sometimes week to week, facing the whims and conditions set by landlords. Poor people must always be prepared, on short notice, to find another suitable place to live and call home. A situation the county and Board of Elections should fully recognize. They should understand that one of last things these people have is the time and opportunity to change their address and keep "up-to-date" on the voting rolls.
It is cruel and immoral, for those of privilege to constantly scrutinize, harass and intimidate people that don’t have their means in life - then whine, when they, the poor, perform their solemn duty and cast their votes. The citizens of privilege, by plan, surround Precinct #1, parked in big expensive automobiles, hold copies of voter registration lists, and make sure that the people that show up to vote are seen, and presumably, checked off on their list. This is just another way of using privilege as a means to intimidate. There’s a message here. Dare to vote and risk the retribution of the well to do and powerful. I find it amazing and commendable that the people of Precinct #1 take their vote so seriously that they face this harassment in election after election.
I know and expect the opposition to use every tactic available to them to try to reverse the results of this election as they did after the last election when the people of Scotland Neck spoke. Voting is a right of EVERY citizen, not the private property of people who, for too long, have kept their foot on the yoke of oppression and held back the advancement and opportunity of people that deserve a fair opportunity. They should be ashamed of themselves for holding on to that hatred and the desire to oppress people not born of privilege. That time should have long ago passed. "