Challenge to election process possible

By Raymond Reeves   The Clarion Ledger    20 August 2005

UTICA ? Mayor Charles Stokes' re-election was validated Friday morning after a meeting with the Hinds County Election Commission confirmed a recount of Tuesday's elections was accurate.

"Now I can go on and focus on the town's work," Stokes said.

But challenger Chris Jones is still considering filing a protest about how the election process was handled in the small southwest Hinds County town.

"I'm just not satisfied with some of the things that went on during the day (of the election)," Jones said. " I thought those (issues) would have been addressed today, but I guess not."

Tuesday evening, Jones had appeared to be in a runoff with Stokes. The initial count showed Stokes with 166 votes to Jones' 125. Jesse Killingsworth, a third candidate, finished with 56 votes.

A recount, however, showed Stokes with a sufficient margin to be declared the winner without a runoff. Stokes had 148 votes, or 51 percent, Jones, 91 votes, or 32 percent, and Killingsworth, 50 votes, or 17 percent.

The confusion came from a vote-tallying error that happened during the original count. The results from some of the machines were added in twice, boosting the totals beyond what they should have been.

Multiple people had run for mayor and alderwoman at-large in the special election

The county election commissioners examined the voting machines and recorded votes and found the error after Willie Hamilton, head of the Utica Election Commission, delivered the machines to Jackson.

"We as election commissioners are under oath to make sure that the electoral process is carried out the way that it should be," said Lelia Rhodes, the election commissioner for District 5, which includes Utica. "We want to make sure that everything is executed properly and in order. "

Hamilton said he felt vindicated by the commissioners' final announcement.

"I have always worked by the law and with the law by my side... ," Hamilton said. "I feel that, at this point in time, this should be a closure to anyone trying to say I tampered with any votes. I can hold my head up with a big smile."

Incumbent JoAnn Caston and challenger Doris Ross will face each other in a runoff on Tuesday for the alderwoman at-large position.

"I hope that, with this one coming up on Tuesday, it can go just as good as it did this time," Hamilton said.

"This should bring closure to everybody within the small town of Utica ... because it's not a black-white issue," he said.