Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-10
HELM GAINING
IN VOTE RECOUNT
Senate Investigator An
nounCes Discovery of Ten
Irregularities.

BY the Associated Press.
Ten counts of irregularities in the
balloting in Tallapoosa County in the
Bankhead-H ef1in Alabama senatorial
race were enumerated today in state
ment issued by w. B. Smith, Jr., OF the
Senate Elections Committee.
Recounting of ballots is proceeding
at the Capitol The recount in four
counties, including Tallapoosa, showed
a net gain of 2S5 votes for j. Thomas
Heflin, former Senator. over Senator
Bankhead whose majority was close 10
$4,000
The ballots for Colbert, Mobile.
Montgomery and Tallapoosa Counties
have been completed. and 10 boxes in
Jackson County. The official count Tor
these ballots gave Bankhead, 1872 and
Hef1in, 1918. The recount gave Bank
head 1878, and Helm, 10,119. The
counters declared 391 ballots void and
laid aside 1852 for future decision.
The statement OF Smith referred to
the 10 points Of the Alabama election
law. It said:
Seals on boxes-Eleven boxes were
not sealed; 5 box seals either broken
or loose; 4 boxes were sealed, but all 3
signatures securing the seal were in the
same handwriting; 8 boxes properly
sealed
Poll lists-Two boxes did not con-
tain poll lists. In 8 boxes instead OF
certificates being signed by 8 persons
for each box the handwriting indicates
that one person signed for all three.
Two boxes were not certified.
List of qualified voters Original
list of qualified voters was certified by
Judge Of probate, but typewriter addi-
lions in each box we're not certified.
Unqualified persons voting-In this
county total of STA persons who were
not on the qualified list of voters were
permitted to vote by the inspectors
without compliance with challenged
oath laws.
Numbering of ballots-In IL pre-
cincts the ballots were not numbered;
in precincts the ballots were num-
bered in pencil instead of ink.
initiated stubs detached-In 2 boxes
the stubs Of the ballots were initiated
but not detached from the ballots; In
4 boxes the stubs were neither initiated
nor detached.
Sealing of certificates and ballots
In 10 precincts the ballots were in
envelopes properly sealed, but the hand
writing would indicate that all three
names securing the seal were written by
one person; Q boxes, the envelope was
sealed but contained no signatures.
Tally sheets-The condition Of the
tally sheets in this county indicates
that the ballots were not taken from
the box one by one ana tailed.
Condition Of ballots in box-1n IL
boxes the ballots were apparently in
original folds, indicating that they had
never been unfolded and Tailed: in 2
boxes the ballots we're scrambled and
wadded into the box; in the remainder
of the boxes the ballots were fiat.
Certificates OF results-Six boxes did
not contain certificates of result; the
certificates in boxes appear to have
been written by the same person for
each box. A large number OF votes, not
on qualified list, could not be rejected
and deducted from the count as they
were not numbered and consequently
could not be identified. The challenged
oaths throughout this county were in
complete, there being no supporting
affidavits of identity"