CARROLLTON - Carroll County election officials were meeting earlier today to certify results of Tuesday's election, but the apparent loser in the sole contested local race is questioning the way things were run.
Dr. Mattie Bernice Rais, who lost her bid for District 3 election commissioner to incumbent Christine "Chris" Adams says she has questions about the conduct of the election.
She had not brought her concerns to officials by midmorning.
Unofficial returns showed Adams with 932 votes to Rais' 131.
The Lexington-based podiatrist, who lives on her home place in the Harmony community, said a woman had complained to her that at least one ballot at the Black Hawk precinct seemed to have already been marked "along the right-hand side."
Carroll County uses paper ballots. The District 3 election commissioner's race was contained on the right side of the ballot.
"I heard some discussion there may have been problems with the ballots," she said.
"There may have been some marking already on the ballot, down the right-hand side."
Rais is black, and Adams is white. Rais said she entered the race for District 3 election commissioner to try and fulfill a goal she feels is important.
"We need more people of color representing us in decision-making," she said. "I noticed when I go into government offices, I just don't see a person of color."
During the counting of the votes at the Carrollton courthouse Tuesday night, Circuit Clerk Charles Ellis described the election process as "smooth," with a large turnout at 5,374 voting.
Carroll Countians went Republican strongly in the presidential and Senate races.
The Bush-Cheney ticket got 3,165 votes to the 1,726 votes cast for Gore-Lieberman.
Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, a native son, polled 3,600 votes to Itta Bena challenger Troy D. Brown's 1,443 votes.
Incumbent U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, a Democrat, was less popular, winning in Carroll but getting 2,497 votes to the 2,093 votes polled by his strongest opponent, Republican Hardy Caraway.
In the race for Supreme Court Justice, District 3, Place 1, Kay Beevers Cobb got 2,517 votes to Percy L. Lynchard's 2,271. For Place 2, Charles "Chuck" Easley got 2,697 to Lenore L. Prather's 1,845.
