Contact Brad White 601-948-5191 brad@msgop.

org

For Immediate Release

05/13/2010
News Release

LEFLORE ELECTION COMMISSION AGREES TO

GOP’S ELECTION DEMANDS
Consent Decree settles 2008 dispute; safeguards future elections
Circuit Court Judge Jannie M. Lewis recently approved a consent decree requiring
Leflore County to comply with Mississippi election law regarding voter assistance,
unauthorized loitering at precincts, poll watcher rights, and ballot security.

“Essentially, this court order requires Leflore County to follow Mississippi election laws.
In the past, if they violated the law, we would have to get a judge to investigate and
make a ruling and just like this, it would be months or years after the election before
anything was settled. Now, if Leflore County violates these laws, we can ask the Sheriff
to enforce this court order while the election is still going on,” explained Brad White,
Mississippi Republican Party Chairman.

White continued, “This order is a win for fair elections in Leflore County and provides a
blueprint for other counties to make sure those running elections follow the law.”

The Mississippi Republican Party filed suit following the November 2008 election, when
Republican poll watchers and observers from the Secretary of State Office documented
abuses including voter intimidation, the illegal directing of voters on whom to vote, the
removal of ballots from the voting area, and the improper restriction of lawful poll
watchers. Individuals illegally loitering in the precinct were voting for or instructing voters
on who to cast their vote, which included improperly influencing votes for Democrat
Ronnie Musgrove for U.S. Senate.

The lawsuit asked the Court to issue a writ of mandamus to bind the defendants and
their successors to properly execute their responsibilities in future elections because the
misdeeds were "capable of repetition, yet evading review" in future elections. The
consent decree settles the lawsuit without Leflore County admitting fault; yet agreeing to
comply to the Republican demands.

Key provisions of the order:

• Voting assistance is only allowed “if the voter alone requests permission for
assistance from a poll worker and does so solely based upon the expressed
grounds of blindness, disability or illiteracy. No request for assistance shall be
allowed from a person other than the voter. No one shall be allowed in the
polling location nor the surrounding area…to ask potential voters if they require
assistance in voting. No one other than a person lawfully providing voter
assistance may be allowed to observe a voter cast his or her vote.”

• The order “excludes unauthorized individuals from the polling location and thirty
(30) feet in every direction from the polls…no persons shall be allowed in the
 polling location other than voters, persons from whom the voter properly requests
assistance…authorized poll watchers and officers of the election.”

• That “properly credentialed poll watchers must be allowed a suitable position to

carefully inspect the…election…must allow the poll watcher the ability…to
properly challenge the qualifications of any person offering to vote.”

• “Voters by affidavit ballot may not take ballots into adjourning rooms which are
not within the supervision and eye sight of the poll workers.”

• The consent decree must be posted at each precinct in Leflore County and each
poll manager and election bailiff shall be given a copy during poll worker training.

“The Mississippi Republican Party is serious about fair, honest, and secure elections and
we will continue to work to protect voters to ensure their votes are not stolen or canceled
out by dishonest activity,” White said.

Lewis signed the consent decree on April 9. The document is attached.

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