A special election in Itta Bena on Tuesday will decide if Mayor J.D. Brasel will stay or be replaced by opponent William McGee.
Brasel was declared and certified as winner of the regular election last June by a narrow margin of 10 votes. He has presided as mayor over the Itta Bena Board of Aldermen for the last seven months. Prior to the June election, he served as at-large alderman for four years. More than a decade ago, he also served a term as mayor.
McGee, a retiree and first-time political candidate, contested the initial results and filed a petition after his attorney, Margarette Meeks, reviewed the ballot boxes and discovered several irregularities, including a missing tape from one of the polling places, no applications with absentee ballots and boxes that were not sealed.
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Specially appointed Judge Henry L. Lackey, who conducted a daylong inventory of the ballot boxes in November at the Leflore County Courthouse, confirmed those findings. Lackey concluded, after considering the matter, that either a court trial or a special election would be required to obtain valid results. All parties agreed to a special election.
McGee said he had been out in the community campaigning actively in anticipation of the re-vote.
“We’ve been gearing up, doing the usual campaigning, and I seem to have more people offering to help this time,” McGee said.
“They’re determined to make a difference.”
McGee said on Friday he and volunteers had been knocking on doors, dropping off brochures, and that he planned to “step it up and do some heavy campaigning” over the weekend.
McGee said he is encouraged that new strategies and two new election commissioners are in place as well as poll managers who have all been trained in Jackson.
“The new commissioners are adamant that they want things done properly this time around,” he said.
Meeks will be in Itta Bena to observe the vote count alongside McGee on Tuesday night as will Brasel’s attorney, Caleb Koonce of Jackson.
Brasel could not be reached for comment but has said in recent weeks that he is campaigning as if this is a regular election.
City Clerk Edna Beverly, in whose custody the ballot boxes are entrusted, has accompanied the two newly appointed election commissioners to Jackson for training. Beverly said new poll managers have also received training.
“There are six poll managers in all, three at each of the two polling places.”
At a recent Board of Aldermen meeting, Beverly indicated that City Attorney Willie Perkins would be overseeing Tuesday’s election. Perkins could not be reached to confirm.
Leflore County Circuit Clerk Elmus Stockstill, an Itta Bena resident and former alderman, said he had been in touch with Beverly over the past week to make sure everything is in place.
• Contact Kathryn Eastburn at 581-7235 or keastburn@gwcommonwealth.com.
What: Itta Bena special mayoral election
When: Tuesday 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
Where: Two precinct polling places — Fire department, 301 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, and Itta Bena Public Library, 305 Thurman St.
