3.08.08
A county supervisor and former superintendent are among 16 people indicted on voter fraud charges in Benton County.  The felony charges stem from a vote-buying investigation into the Aug. 7 primary and the Aug. 27 runoff in Benton County.  Accusations in the indictment range from the accused paying as much as $40 and a case of beer to as little as $10 per vote.  Benton County Supervisor Tate King and former Benton County Schools Superintendent Ronnie Wilkerson are among those accused of trying to buy votes, according to indictments signed on Feb. 27.  King was indicted on two counts of voter fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit voter fraud.  The indictments accuse King of trying to pay absentee voters.  Former school Superintendent Ronnie Wilkerson faces two counts of conspiracy to commit voter fraud for alleged vote buying.  Attorney General Jim Hood said he believes vote-buying has been a problem in the area for years, impeding voters' right to fair elections.  “It’s kind of an accepted practice," he said.  The Clarion Ledger has more on the story.  The Mississippi Attorney General’s office also has issued a press release detailing all 16 indictments.

2.16.08
Seven more witnesses took the stand Friday to testify in the court proceedings contesting the Woodville 2007 primary election. The victories of Reginald Jackson, sheriff; Mon Cre Allen, circuit clerk; and Richard Hollins, District 2 Supervisor, have been contested amidst allegations of vote fraud. One witness, Terrance Stanwood, testified that he was given $1 and a hamburger after voting. Another witness, Sherman Carter, testified under immunity that he was brought to the Woodville Court House by Board of Supervisors President Robert Morgan for the purpose of voting by absentee. Unable to read and write, Carter said that a “heavy-set woman” in Allen’s office filled out the ballot for him. Carter further testified that he did not sign anything when he voted and that the ballot was not sealed in an envelope afterwards. The Natchez Democrat has more on the story.

2.15.08
Two sisters, Latosha and Latonia Goodrich, testified under immunity to being complicit in vote fraud during court proceedings contesting the August 2007 Woodville elections. Latosha Goodrich testified that they met with Connie Hollins, sister of District 2 Supervisor Richard Hollins, in a Texaco parking lot for the purpose of filling out absentee ballots. When Connie Hollins arrived at the gas station, she had three envelopes complete with blank ballots. Latosha further testified that, when Hollins handed out the ballots, she instructed the sisters who to vote for. “I was coached,” Latosha testified. Latosha said she was specifically told to vote for Richard Hollins, Mon Cree Allen and Reginald Jackson. The votes that elected Allen, Jackson and Hollins have all been contested. Latosha testified that she filled out the ballot as she had been instructed, and Hollins notarized it on the trunk of the car. Latosha then proceeded to fill out an absentee ballot for her brother who was unable to meet at the gas station, and Hollins notarized that ballot as well. Latosha testified that she signed her brother’s signature across the seal on the envelope without his knowledge. She went on to say that she did not think what she had done was wrong because she trusted Hollins, and Hollins assured her that everything was legitimate. “[Hollins] knows the law and she said it was OK,” she said. Latonia, Latosha’s sister, told almost the exact same story. Neither sister was registered to vote absentee nor resided in Woodville at the time. The Natchez Democrat has more on the story.

11.15.07
Circuit Court Judge Jim Pounds has ordered a special Democratic primary election in the race for Justice Court Judge Southern District.  The race between incumbent Ellis W. Darby and challenger Louise Linzy had been decided by less than 10 votes.  The ruling comes after a complaint was filed by Linzy, alleging that the Democratic Executive Committee failed to count legal absentee ballots before making the primary election results official, that she was denied an opportunity to examine ballots due to the confiscation, and that election officials failed to properly count the affidavit and machine ballots, which she claimed could have affected the outcome of the primary election.  “Obviously votes were illegally cast and counted in this election,” Judge Pounds said.  Indeed, after seizing ballot boxes from the local Democratic Executive Committee, officials with the Mississippi Bureau of Investigations found:

• a large number of absentee ballots were sent to two particular questionable addresses;
• at least three dead people had been allowed to vote;
• Tunica Nursing Home residents were shown to be registered in six different precincts, although they all lived at the same address;
• at least three convicted felons and one incarcerated individual were allowed to cast votes; and
• two votes were also cast by persons not registered as U.S. citizens. 

11.06.07
Arrests were made Monday night in connection with allegedly fraudulent ballots cast in Tunica County's August 7 primary election. As many as 100 of the nearly 400 absentee ballots that were cast, could be fraudulent according to a spokesperson for the Tunica County Sheriff's Department. Deputies have arrested two people they believe are behind the scam. WHBQ FOX13 Memphis has more on the story.

09.13.07
Benton County 's superintendent of education was one of two men arrested Wednesday in an ongoing Attorney General's investigation of voter fraud in the county. Superintendent Ronnie Wilkerson of Blue Mountain was arrested and taken to Tippah County Jail along with Henry Massey, 42. Each man was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit voter fraud, said Attorney General Jim Hood. Both men have posted bond, which was set at $20,000 each. Since early August, 16 individuals have been arrested in connection with alleged voter fraud in Benton County. Among them are a county supervisor and a candidate for sheriff. For more on this story from the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal , and WREG-TV News Channel 3 , click here, and here. See also “Two arrests reported in Benton Co. voting fraud case,” Associated Press, 10/12/07.

08.31.07
Arrests continue to mount in an investigation into voter fraud in Benton County. On Thursday, state Attorney General Jim Hood announced the 14th arrest since the vote-buying investigation began several weeks before the August primary. Jerry Huck Childers, 47, of Hickory Flat was charged Wednesday with one count of conspiracy to commit voter fraud, one count of bribery, and one count of vote fraud. Others previously arrested include sheriff candidate Clint Moffett and Benton County District 1 Supervisor Tate King, who has denied any part in voter fraud. Some residents in Benton County are not surprised by the voter-fraud allegations. According to Vera Cox, who moved to the county in 1971, “[t]his has been going on a long time.” Cox added, “[e]very four years they have this ... and it's because some intend on getting into office one way or another." (“Investigation into voter fraud in Benton County nets 14th arrest”, The Jackson Clarion Ledger, 08/31/07)

08.25.07
A longtime Benton County supervisor was among four arrested Friday on felony voter fraud charges. The state Attorney General's office says 67-year-old Tate King was involved in a vote-buying conspiracy leading up to the August 7th Democratic primary. King also faces one count of felony bribery. At least 13 others face similar charges. All are scheduled to appear in justice court on September 24. For more on this story from the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, and WLBT News Channel 3, click here, here. See also “Benton Co. supervisors arrested in voting fraud probe,” Associated Press, 8/25/07

08.15.07
State and local investigators have targeted the Tunica County Circuit Clerk's Office in their probe of absentee ballot irregularities in last week's election. A review of the evidence by 3 On Your Side found that:

• four of the ballots were mailed in using the names of dead people;
• five of the ballots used the names of convicted felons, including one who has been in jail since May 2006
• two of the ballots used names of individuals who were not U.S. citizens; and
• ten ballots -- split among six precincts -- were actually submitted using the names of ten residents who resided in the same Tunica Nursing Home

Authorities confirmed that all of the bogus ballots were mailed to the same address:  P.O. Box 772 in Tunica.  They would not reveal the physical address linked to the post office box, but a source close to the investigation says someone inside the circuit clerk's office mailed each of the ballots to that box.  WREG News channel 3 Memphis has the rest of the story.

08.06.07
Two people were arrested Monday and charged with voter fraud - just one day before Tuesday's primary election. These arrests bring the number to nine arrested in a probe of vote selling. (“2 more arrested and charged with voter fraud in NE Miss.,” The Jackson Clarion-Ledger, 08/06/07)

08.05.07
The Jackson Clarion-Ledger and the SunHerald both report that seven people have been arrested in the Benton County vote buying probe, including one Democratic candidate, Clint Moffett. The Attorney General continues to investigate. (“Candidate, 3 others charged in vote fraud,” The Jackson Clarion-Ledger, 08/05/07; “4 charged with voter fraud,” SunHerald, 08/05/07)

View all Vote Fraud cases across the country.