Widespread fraud and irregularities with absentee voting in Leflore County during the Nov. 25 Fourth Judicial Circuit runoff tainted 229 ballots, according to Carol White-Richard’s response to her opponent’s challenge of the results of the runoff election.
The response also alleges that White-Richard’s opponent, Takiyah Perkins, and Perkins’ brother, Willie Perkins Jr., both live outside the judicial district and illegally cast ballots in the runoff.
White-Richard was declared the winner of the runoff by 77 votes, but Takiyah Perkins is challenging the results in court.
Perkins has alleged that at least 450 Greenwood residents of the judicial sub-district were illegally moved into different precincts and improperly prevented from casting ballots in the runoff.
The voting district for the Place 3 judgeship takes in most of southern Leflore County, including South Greenwood, Morgan City and Itta Bena, as well as parts of Indianola, Moorhead and Inverness in Sunflower County and Hollandale in Washington County.
White-Richard’s response, filed in Leflore County Circuit Court last week, dismisses those allegations, arguing that the supposed redistricting violations “do not appear to be supported by reliable data, information or basis.”
The response alleges that Perkins’ challenge “has been filed in bad faith and for the purpose of delay, harassment, annoyance, embarrassment and oppression.”
White-Richard, who was sworn in as a circuit court judge Dec. 29, also repeated allegations that Perkins had not worked as a practicing attorney for the required five years and is therefore ineligible to run for a circuit judgeship.
The State Board of Election Commissioners considered Perkins’ qualifications prior to the election, ruling that the time she spent as a judge’s clerk should count toward the minimum requirements.
Perkins, an assistant district attorney in Greenville, was in court this morning and unavailable for comment.
Perkins’ father and attorney in the election challenge, state Rep. Willie Perkins, D-Greenwood, did not immediately return calls seeking comment.
In a subsequent filing, White-Richard has also asked a judge to disqualify Willie Perkins Sr. from acting as his daughter’s attorney on the basis that the elder Perkins will likely be called at trial as a witness to the alleged absentee voter irregularities.
The election challenge has been assigned to Judge Andrew K. Howorth, an Oxford circuit judge in the Third Judicial District.
Perkins’ election challenge largely hinges on the allegation that voters in the Central Greenwood precinct were illegally moved into a different judicial subdistrict when the Leflore County Board of Supervisors redistricted the county in 2012 — even though the judicial district’s lines hadn’t been altered by the Legislature since 1994.
The challenge also alleges that nonresidents illegally cast ballots, that a number of affidavit ballots were improperly excluded and that other irregularities should exclude other votes that were counted.
In her response and cross-complaint, White-Richard denied the majority of Perkins’ charges and said that “fraud and irregularities” with Leflore County absentee ballots were so pervasive “as to taint the entire lot of ballots.”
Perkins claimed a substantial advantage among absentee ballots in Leflore County, winning the vote 179-50.
White-Richard alleges that Perkins’ supporters and campaign workers “systematically” solicited absentee votes for Perkins in violation of the “letter and/or spirit” of state election laws. As evidence of alleged fraud, White-Richard pointed to nearly a hundred absentee ballots collected and witnessed by three canvassers, identified as Annie Pearl Washington, Cheron Baines and Yolanda Williams.
White-Richard also cited a lack of postmarks, questionable signatures and irregularities on absentee ballot applications as evidence of improprieties.
• Contact Bryn Stole at 581-7235 or bstole@gwcommonwealth.com.
Perkins vs. White-Richard: Filed answerPerkins vs. White-Richard: Motion to disqualify
