Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Emmet Discusses Election Results

Emmet's City Hall was packed Wednesday night, Nov. 11, as residents wanted to discuss the Nov. 3 General Election outcome.

Allegations have been raised concerning possible voter fraud in the mayoral race and annexation issue, and will be checked into by the Emmet City Council.

According to Emmet Mayor Ottis P. "Chuck" Otwell, some 18-20 votes cast in the election were questionable, as the voters may not live in Emmet.

Otwell said he had no opinion on the election except to bring the issue before the council and public. Apparently, he informed the body, there were questions about some of the voters being legal residents of the city.

City attorney Glenn Vasser has been contacted about the matter, as have the Arkansas Municipal League attorneys. Vasser, though, suggested getting an out-of-town barrister to look at the issue to avoid possible conflicts of interest.

The Municipal League, however, said if the city was willing to absorb the cost, voter registration could be cleaned up in the county.

While Otwell isn't contesting the outcome of the election, he did say voter registration needs to be cleaned up so such things won't happen in future elections. Otwell was defeated by eight votes in the mayor's race by Dale Booker.

He said there are state statutes concerning voting out of precinct. Election problems, though, were not limited solely to Emmet, he pointed out. In Ouachita County the FBI was called in to investigate voting irregularities there. There were also problems on the national level as well.

One person present at the meeting said she had tried to have her voter registration changed from Nevada to Hempstead County three times, but is still listed on the Nevada County roll.

Otwell said this is typical, but added he wasn't throwing stones at Nevada County Clerk Julie Stockton or the Nevada County Election Commission. He said when a person moves, the county clerk in their new area should notify the former county clerk and have the name removed from the registration list.

"I can live with the decision," he said. "(Dale) Booker can to. But it's not right for someone who doesn't have to live with it to be able to vote in the area. It's a felony. It's voter fraud."

Jackie Allen said his family still owns a house inside the Emmet city limits, but when they moved outside the limits it took no time to get his name removed from the city's list of registered voters.

Councilman Jack Faulkner said all there is in government is one man and one vote. When this is tampered with it needs to be looked at and corrected. However, he said the election doesn't need to be changed, but the county clerk is where changes will have to take place.

Otwell said the printouts for early voting contained 20 names, but one man was known to have voted early and his ballot was simply lost and still hasn't been found. "There should have been 21 votes," Otwell said.

The majority is supposed to win, Mike Otwell said. "If 21 voted illegally and the election was decided by six votes, the majority didn't win."

J.W. Casto suggested confronting those people who were reported to have voted illegally. He said their names could be obtained from the registration rolls.

Booker, who will take office Jan. 1, 1999, said this isn't the first time something like this has occurred in Emmet. He pointed out a similar incident happened in 1990.

But, he said, with people moving in and out of the area, having the books cleaned up will have little effect. Instead of spending the city's money to have the books cleaned up, he suggested the Arkansas General Assembly looking at the issue when it convenes in 1999.

Other complaints from the citizenry revolved around absentee ballots. It was said some got these ballots for registered voters, but the voter never saw the ballot, though it was returned and filled in.

Mike Otwell said the Attorney General's Office informed him the city would have to take the first step in getting the issue settled. It's something, he continued, the city needs to look into so when the next election rolls around, it will be done right.

The election has been certified twice, Mayor Otwell said, but it could still be contested.

Faulkner said the situation needs to be cleaned up, but he would like to find a way it could be done without costing the city any money.

"We take politics seriously here," Mayor Otwell said. "I respect others' opinions and how they want to vote. I will stay here and live with it and expect others to do the same and not be influenced by people not living here.

"It's time for something to be done. That's why we brought it before the council. We're serious about getting the books cleaned up."

The council discussed establishing a three-member committee to look into the situation with the voter registration, while the mayor talked with an attorney about the election.

One members of the council, Stan Jernigan, along with Casto and local resident Kathy Villiard volunteered to head the committee. They will be looking at the registration books and talking with the election commission to see about getting names of those who no longer live in Emmet removed from the election list.

The mayor will contact Hope's city attorney, Joe Short, to find out roughly what it would cost to get the books cleaned up. This information will be shared with the committee and possibly brought before the entire council in a special session.