Opinion ID: 1779094
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: absentee ballots included in the record

Text: Bell, Preston Bell voted for Hollins in Woodville # 2. Challenge is written on the envelope for the absentee ballot application. Finding that Bell lived in Woodville # 2, the Tribunal accepted this ballot. Because Smith failed to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that Bell did not live in Woodville # 2, we agree. This vote is counted in favor of Hollins. Bethley, Cleveland Bethley voted for Hollins in Woodville # 2. Challenge-Redistrict is written on the envelope for the ballot. Finding that Bethley lived in Woodville # 2, the Tribunal accepted this ballot. Because Smith failed to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that Bethley did not live in Woodville # 2, we agree. This vote is counted in favor of Hollins. Boyd, Benjamin Boyd voted for Smith in Woodville # 2. Challenge address is written on the envelope for the absentee ballot application. Finding that Boyd lived in Woodville # 2, the Tribunal accepted this ballot. Because Hollins failed to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that Boyd did not live in Woodville # 2, we agree. This vote is counted in favor of Smith. Dickerson, Charlotte Dickerson voted for Hollins in Fort Adams. Challenged-no name on application is written on the envelope for the absentee ballot application. There is no signature of an attesting witness. The Tribunal accepted Dickerson's ballot inasmuch as she is disabled and her grandson assisted her. We disagree. Although a disabled person's signature on the ballot envelope is not required to be sworn, someone is required to sign their name as an attesting witness. In the absence of an attesting witness, this ballot cannot be counted. See Miss.Code Ann. § 23-15-631(1)(c) (Rev.2001) Ferguson, Annie Ferguson voted for Hollins in Fort Adams. Challenge-no name on application is written on the envelope for the ballot. Ferguson's name is on the absentee ballot application, the application is initialed and the circuit clerk seal is affixed thereto. The Tribunal accepted this ballot. We agree. Miss.Code Ann. § 23-15-627 (Rev.2001) requires only that the application have the seal of the circuit or municipal clerk affixed to it and be initialed by the registrar or his deputy. This vote is counted in favor of Hollins. Fosselman, Jacqueline Fosselman voted for Hollins in Woodville # 2. Challenge address is written on the envelope for the ballot. Finding that Fosselman was registered under her maiden name in Woodville # 2, the Tribunal accepted her ballot. Because Smith failed to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that Fosselman was not a resident of Woodville # 2, we agree. This vote is counted in favor of Hollins. Fountain, Samuel Fountain voted for Hollins in Woodville # 2. Challenge Redistrict is written on the envelope for the absentee ballot application. Finding that Fountain lived in Woodville # 2, the Tribunal accepted this ballot. Because Smith failed to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that Fountain did not live in Woodville # 2, we agree. This vote is counted in favor of Hollins. Fountain, Timothy Fountain voted for Hollins in Woodville # 2. Clerk's signature is written on the envelope for the absentee ballot application. The signature of Mon Cree Allen, the Wilkinson County Circuit Clerk, is on the application. The Tribunal accepted this ballot. Because Smith failed to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that the signature was not that of Mon Cree Allen, we agree. This vote is counted in favor of Hollins. Gaines, Carrie Gaines voted for Hollins in Woodville # 2. Reject-name not across the flap is written on the envelope for the absentee ballot application. Gaines' signature is on the back of the ballot envelope. However, the official title and the address of the attesting witness are not filled out on the back of the envelope, and Gaines' signature is not sworn. The Tribunal rejected this ballot. We agree. See Miss.Code Ann. § 23-15-635 (Rev.2001); see also Campbell, 733 So.2d at 826 (A person voting by absentee ballot must sign the affidavit on the ballot envelope.) (Emphasis added). Gaines, Flora Gaines voted for Hollins in Woodville # 2. Challenge is written on the envelope for the absentee ballot application. The Tribunal rejected this ballot. We agree. Gaines' signature on the back of the ballot envelope is not sworn. See Miss.Code Ann. § 23-15-635 (Rev.2001); see also Campbell, 733 So.2d at 826 (A person voting by absentee ballot must sign the affidavit on the ballot envelope. (Emphasis added)). Hollins, Beatrice Beatrice voted for Hollins in Woodville # 2. Challenge address is written on the envelope for the absentee ballot application. Finding that Beatrice lived in Woodville # 2, the Tribunal accepted this ballot. Because Smith failed to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that Beatrice did not live in Woodville # 2, we agree. This vote is counted in favor of Hollins. Jackson, Edna Jackson voted for Smith in Fort Adams. No is written on the envelope for the ballot. The Tribunal invalidated Jackson's ballot because Jackson was a convicted felon. Because Smith failed to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that Jackson was eligible to vote, we agree. See Miss.Code Ann. § 23-15-19 (Rev.2001). James, Ronekia James voted for Smith in Woodville # 2. Challenge clerk signature is written on the envelope for the absentee ballot application. Mon Cree Smith's signature is on the application. The Tribunal accepted this ballot. Because Hollins failed to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that the application was improperly attested, we agree. This vote is counted in favor of Smith. Jarvis, Richard Jarvis voted for Hollins in Woodville # 2. Challenge signature is written on the envelope for the absentee ballot application The Tribunal accepted this ballot. We agree. Even though Jarvis's signature appears to be the writing of the person who filled out and attested the application, Smith failed to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that the signature was not that of Jarvis. This vote is counted in favor of Hollins. Johnson, Stacy Johnson voted for Hollins in Fort Adams. Name not in book-challenged by Richard Hollins-good registered is written on the envelope for the absentee ballot application. At the hearing, Smith introduced a certified copy of a voting record from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, which showed that a Stacy Johnson voted in Baton Rouge three weeks prior to the Mississippi election. Johnson admitted that the birth date and the birth place of the Louisiana Stacy Johnson matched her own birth date and birth place. Johnson worked in Baton Rouge but she denied that she had voted there. Johnson also admitted that the address on the voting record from Louisiana was that of an aunt with whom she occasionally stayed while she was working in Louisiana. Johnson testified that, while she worked in Louisiana during the week, she returned to Wilkinson County on the weekends. The Tribunal accepted Johnson's ballot. We disagree. We find that Smith's challenge to Johnson's ballot was proven by a preponderance of the evidence. The exact same names, dates of birth, and birth places on official Mississippi and Louisiana voting records and her admission that she maintained addresses in both Mississippi and Louisiana belie Johnson's testimony that she had not voted in Louisiana. We find that evidence exists for a court of proper jurisdiction to find that Johnson has violated Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-17(1) (Rev.2001). [1] Jones, Robert Lawrence Jones voted for Smith in Fort Adams. Name not on book is written on the envelope for the ballot. Mon Cree Adams testified that Jones's name was not included in the poll book in the Fort Adams precinct. The Tribunal rejected Jones' ballot, and we agree. McCants, Wade McCants voted for Smith in Woodville # 2. No is written on the envelope for the ballot. The Tribunal found that McCants lived in Woodville # 2 and that the ballot should be accepted. We agree. This vote is counted in favor of Smith. McDonald, David McDonald voted for Smith in Fort Adams. Wrong district-no is written on the envelope for the ballot. The Tribunal found that, even though McDonald lived in Woodville # 2, his vote cast in Fort Adams should be accepted. We agree. This vote is counted in favor of Smith. Mealey, Inez Mealey voted for Hollins in Woodville # 2. Challenge-signature-flap is written on the envelope for the absentee ballot application. The envelope is signed with an X. The Tribunal found that Mealey was assisted by her son and that her application for an absentee ballot and the ballot were properly executed by an attesting witness. We agree. This vote is counted in favor of Hollins. Miles, Trevor Miles voted for Smith in Fort Adams. No is written on the envelope for the ballot. Finding that Miles lived in Fort Adams, the Tribunal accepted his ballot. Because Hollins failed to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that Miles did not live in Fort Adams, we agree. This vote is counted in favor of Smith. Palmer, Bessie Palmer voted for Hollins in Woodville # 2. Voter challenge signature is written on the envelope for the absentee ballot application. The Tribunal accepted this ballot. We agree. Even though Palmer's signature appears to be the writing of the person who filled out and attested the application, Smith failed to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that the signature was not that of Palmer. This vote is counted in favor of Hollins. Payne, Reginald Payne voted for Hollins in Woodville # 2. Challenge is written on the envelope for the absentee ballot application. Finding that Payne lived in Woodville # 2, the Tribunal accepted this ballot. Because Smith failed to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that Payne did not live in Woodville # 2, we agree. This vote is counted in favor of Hollins. Stewart, Irene Stewart voted for Hollins in Fort Adams. Challenged-no name on application is written on the envelope for the absentee ballot application. Stewart's name is on the application, but it is not sworn. Stewart's absentee ballot was invalidated by the Tribunal because it was not sworn. We agree. Miss.Code Ann. § 23-15-631 (Rev.2001) requires that the signature on an application for an absentee ballot must be sworn and attested. Stutzman, Ozene Stutzman voted for Smith in Fort Adams. Wrong district-no is written on the envelope for the ballot. The Tribunal found that Stutzman lived in the Woodville # 4 district and invalidated her vote. Because Smith failed to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that Stutzman lived in Fort Adams, we agree. Wall, Betty Wall voted for Smith in Fort Adams. No is written on the envelope for the ballot. The Tribunal invalidated Wall's vote because Wall's name did not appear on the Master List. Because Hollins failed to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that Wall's name was on the Master List, we agree. Wells, Roscoe Wells voted for Hollins in Woodville # 2. Challenge was written on the envelope for the absentee ballot application. Finding that Wells lived in Woodville # 2, the Tribunal accepted this ballot. Because Smith failed to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that Wells did not live in Woodville # 2, we agree. This vote is counted in favor of Hollins.