Opinion ID: 1788430
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Amount of Disqualified Votes

Text: When the amount of votes disqualified is substantial enough that it is impossible to discern the will of the voters, a special election is required. Stringer, 608 So.2d at 1357. Whether the amount of disqualified votes is substantial enough to warrant a special election depends upon the particular facts and circumstances of each case, i.e., the nature of the procedural requirement(s) violated, scope of the violation(s), and ratio of illegal votes to the total votes cast. Rizzo, 530 So.2d at 129, quoting Walker v. Smith, 213 Miss. 255, 264, 57 So.2d 166, 167 (1952). Disenfranchisement of a significant number of voters may create sufficient doubt as to the election results to warrant a special election, even absent evidence of fraud. Stringer, 608 So.2d at 1357, citing Russell, 443 So.2d at 1198. See also, Rizzo, 530 So.2d at 128. Invalidation of more than thirty percent (30%) of the total votes cast is generally sufficient to require a special election. See Russell, 443 So.2d at 1198. However, even where the percentage of illegal votes is small, if attended by fraud or willful violations of the election procedure, this Court will order a new election without reservation. Rizzo, 530 So.2d at 128, citing Harris v. Stewart, 187 Miss. 489, 193 So. 339 (1940); Hayes v. Abney, 186 Miss. 208, 188 So. 533 (1939). The aim is to balance the interest of the electorate with that of the successful contestant. Rizzo, 530 So.2d at 128. The procedural requirements violated in this case are mandatory in nature. The scope of the proven violations is small. The illegal votes cast constitute only sixteen hundredths of one percent (.16%) of the total votes cast. Nonetheless, as discussed previously, these violations do not consist of mistakes or inadvertence on the part of the voters or election officials. Rather, the violations of the absentee ballot election procedures by Rogers' supporters were willful and attended by a reasonable inference of fraud, arguably warranting a new election. Rizzo, 530 So.2d at 128, citing Harris v. Stewart, 187 Miss. 489, 193 So. 339 (1940); Hayes v. Abney, 186 Miss. 208, 188 So. 533 (1939). In fact, a new election was ordered by Governor Fordice and has been held; Holder was declared the winner by a vote of 4,147 to 3,568. Two of the arguments against new elections cited by this Court  diminished voter turnout and the expense involved  are moot. Voter turnout in the special election was actually greater than it had been in the original election contested here and the expense of a special election has already been borne by the taxpayers. The interest of the electorate (electing the candidate chosen by the majority of voters) and Holder's interest as a successful contestant (a new election free of vote fraud) appear to have been well served by the special election. The results in Holder's favor also tend to support his allegations of widespread fraud in connection with the original election of October 8, 1991. During the pendency of this appeal a special election was held by order of Governor Kirk Fordice. Holder received the majority of votes, 4,147 as compared to Rogers 3,568. The results of this special election are the basis for Rogers' Motion to Strike which was passed for consideration along with the merits of this appeal. Rogers contends that these results from November, 1992, are totally irrelevant to this appeal and are merely an attempt to influence this Court through introducing matters not of record and not part of the evidence presented at the trial of this cause. Holder argues that the results of the November election are extremely relevant to ascertaining the will of the voters of Sunflower County, who, through the course of an honest election, overwhelmingly re-elected him to another term as sheriff. Holder argues that we should take judicial notice of his overwhelming victory at the November, 1992, special election. Although parties to an appeal may not add to the record, pursuant to Miss.Sup. Ct.Rule 10(f), we may certainly take judicial notice of the adjudicative fact that a special election was held and Holder was declared the victor. M.R.E. 201(a), (b), and (f). This information, while neither necessary nor determinative in this appeal, is clearly relevant. Rogers' Motion to Strike is denied. Although the Special Tribunal erred in voiding all absentee votes in the Sunflower and Moorhead precincts, his conclusion that a special election should be called was correct. Applying the alternatively-pronged Russell test, although a new election is not required under the first prong, a special election is warranted pursuant to the second prong because, although the number of proven illegal votes is small, these votes were cast in violation of the mandatory provisions of the Absentee Balloting Procedures Law and the violations were willful and attended by a reasonable inference of fraud. The Special Tribunal's order for a special election is affirmed. As a new election has already been held, the results of that election should be certified. AFFIRMED. RESULTS OF SPECIAL ELECTION HELD IN NOVEMBER, 1992, SHALL BE CERTIFIED. HAWKINS, C.J., PRATHER, P.J., and PITTMAN, BANKS, McRAE and SMITH, JJ., concur. DAN M. LEE, P.J., concurs in results only. JAMES L. ROBERTS, Jr., J., not participating. BANKS, J., concurs with separate written opinion.