[StBernard] Lee Zurik Investigation: Election board still unclear if votes will be thrown out

[Westley Annis]

Lee Zurik Investigation: Election board still unclear if votes will be
thrown out

State lawmakers weigh in on St. Bernard voting reports
Lee Zurik Investigation: Some in St. Bernard Parish linked to illegal voting
Race for St. Bernard Sheriff turns ugly among two candidates

Reported by: Lee Zurik, Anchor/Chief Investigative Reporter Email:
lzurik at fox8tv.net
			
Print Story Published: 11/18 9:03 pm Share Updated: 11/18 10:56 pm 

Chalmette -- The St. Bernard Parish Board of Election Supervisors is still
awaiting an opinion from the state's attorney general on whether to throw
out any votes in Saturday's election.

Sheriff candidate Wayne Landry said Tuesday that his campaign challenged
1,300 voters. That turned into 700 Thursday, and now the official count from
the St. Bernard Registrar of Voters stands at 598.

"An overwhelming number of challenges made did not have evidence attached to
the challenges," said Election Supervisor Mike Bayham. "It's for the 55 that
did have evidence attached, that's where the attorney general's opinions
will be relevant."

Landry's campaign only had time to submit 55 challenges with evidence -
namely, a homestead exemption for that voter in another parish.

We've heard from dozens of St. Bernard voters who were challenged, even
though they have been lifelong parish residents.

"If there's no evidence submitted with the challenge, then you're just
making an accusation," said Bayham. "There is nothing to support it."

And that means, when election supervisors meet Saturday, the challenges with
no evidence will be thrown out.

"Receiving a challenge letter does not compel you to attend," Bayham told
us. "People shouldn't feel an obligation to stop what they're doing and
attend.

"It's obvious that some of these challenges should not have been made,"
Bayham observed.

So the board will likely consider 55 votes, which, by looking at the history
of elections in St. Bernard, could have an impact on some races.

"We had a justice of the peace election," Bayham noted, "you had five votes
separating second from third. We had an assessor's race that was also very,
very close. We want to make sure that every vote that should be voted
counts."

The week in St. Bernard Parish has been controversial, but the facts show
some St. Bernard voters don't live in the parish.

"It reminds me of old-style Louisiana politics, where registrars have lots
of administrative discretion," said UNO political science professor Ed
Chervanek, "and there's really no oversight or accountability for these
individuals who are operating in a vacuum. No one is really seeing what
they're really doing."

Chervanek says, while things look bad in St. Bernard now, this controversy
eventually may help clean up the voting rolls in parishes all across
southeast Louisiana.

"Voting is fundamental to the democratic process," Chervanek said, "because
it's through elections that we select our leaders and confer upon them the
legitimacy to exercise the powers of that office. So when you call into
question who can vote and who can't vote, and start challenging votes, that
really calls into question a fundamental tenet of our democracy."

But the state of democracy on Saturday lies in the hands of a little known
board which will decide whether any votes should be thrown out.