[quote]Some voters given illegal enticements, losing candidate says[/quote]
A Holmes County candidate for supervisor who lost a Democratic runoff to a longtime incumbent is contesting the election for reasons, including that some voters were enticed by alcohol and illegal substances.
Leonard Hampton wants the Aug. 23 results thrown out and a new election ordered.
The Holmes County Democratic Party Executive Committee is scheduled to conduct a hearing at 10 a.m. Wednesday in Lexington on Hampton’s challenge.
Hampton had led District 1 Supervisor Norman Cobbins Jr. during the Aug. 2 Democratic Primary by 17 votes.
But Cobbins was declared the runoff winner with 548 votes to Cobbins’ 476.
“Certain voters were rounded up and placed in a van and taken to the precinct to vote either before or after the unlawful enticement was provided,” Hampton’s election challenge states.
Cobbins said if any such thing happened, he played no role in it.
“I would say that anything he says I did, he did the same thing,” said Cobbins, a supervisor for 16 years.
Hampton also said certain absentee ballots were not witnessed according to the law. Nor were they handled properly, Hampton alleges.
“Certain absentee ballots were improperly allowed due to the fact that certain absentee voters were assisted in their voting which is not in according with the law,” Hampton said in his petition filed by his attorney John Reeves of Jackson.
Hampton also alleges that the Democratic Party apparently created certain ballots for use in “early voting.”
A person transferred the vote from the pink-colored paper ballot to an official ballot on white paper so that the vote could be counted by the machine, Hampton said.
Holmes County Democratic Party Executive Committee chairwoman Maxine Smith said party officials were not aware of any problems with the way the election was conducted. Smith said she isn’t saying someone didn’t see improper activities, but if it occurred, party officials didn’t condone it.
Cobbins said of the election, “It was just as fair as it has ever been.”
Cobbins said Hampton has been a candidate for the seat every four years.
Supervisors serve four-year terms. Cobbins said Holmes County supervisors are paid about $32,000 a year.
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