Following a close contest, Jim Harreld is challenging the results of the supervisor District Four race.
Karl Banks won the general election in November by 57 votes, with Harreld receiving 3,467 votes to Banks’ 3,524, according to the certified results from the Madison County Election Commission filed with the Mississippi Secretary of State’s office.
However, Harreld says there were too many issues with the election to determine a clear winner, including voters receiving the wrong ballots, affidavit ballots being handled incorrectly and more.
Harreld said the trial is tentatively scheduled for the week of December 16. Circuit Court Judge Lamar Pickard will preside over the case.
The petition that was filed challenging the results of the election states that of the 16 precincts in District Four, three precincts provided the wrong ballots to voters.
These precincts include Fellowship Bible Church, Twin Lakes Baptist Church and Canton National Guard Armory.
The petition claims 24 residents of District Four voting at Fellowship Bible Church received the wrong ballot and were denied the opportunity to vote in the supervisor election, while 71 voters who are not residents of District Four were given a ballot that included the District Four supervisor election.
According to the petition, 31 voters at Twin Lakes Baptist Church and 14 voters at Canton National Guard Armory who are not residents of District Four were given ballots that include the District Four supervisor race.
The petition also claims 33 illegal absentee ballots and nine affidavit ballots were accepted and counted. Meanwhile, three acceptable affidavit ballots were rejected, according to the petition, among various other irregularities.
Harreld told the Sun that approximately 200 votes from the election “could be wrong.”
As for the trial, Harreld said his hope is for a special election to be called.
“It’s hard to have a victory verdict in this case, so I think a special election would be the best way to remedy the situation,” Harreld said.
“It’s a slow process,” he said.
Banks could not be reached for comment at press time.
