Both outgoing councilmen, Ben Little and Herbert Palmore, protested the results and voted against certifying them.
Palmore said reported voting machine malfunctions bothered him.
“I’m not contesting the vote,” Palmore said. “My question was the difficulty of the machines and the way they were set up and mistakes that were made with the machines. That’s what made me uneasy about this election.”
Palmore, who pulled in 22.5 percent of the vote, came in third in a three-way race that is headed to a runoff election on Oct. 9. He will not be part of the runoff.
While Palmore stopped short of saying illegal activities took place during the election, Little did not.
“When you have individuals telling you that ballots were being taken away from the polling place out at South Highland,” Little said. “When you have people saying people were going in more than one time and voting and they’re ready to testify to this effect, it’s very, very troublesome.”
Little also questioned the methods used to hand-count ballots at the City Meeting Center after the ballot machine improperly sorted them.
Mayor Gene Robinson didn’t comment on the allegations, but instead took advantage of the full house in the council chambers to thank voters for electing him in 2008.
“It’s been one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life besides the Navy,” Robinson told the audience. “We did a lot of work and we achieved a lot of things.”
The election results were divided into two resolutions – one for the City Council and one for the Board of Education. Council members voted 3-2 to approve the election of Mayor–elect Vaughn Stewart, incumbent Councilman Jay Jenkins and Councilman-elect Seyram Selase, as well as two runoff elections for wards 2 and 4.
Candidates Sheffton Goodson and David Reddick will face off in an Oct. 9 runoff election for the Ward 2 seat, while Councilman Marcus Dunn and candidate Millie Harris will vie for the Ward 4 seat.
The council also voted 3-2 to certify the results for Board of Education seats. Mary Klinefelter was declared the winner of the at-large seat, while Donna Ross took the Ward 1 seat, incumbent William Hutchings kept his Ward 2 seat, C.K. Huguley took Ward 3, and incumbent Bill Robison won in Ward 4. Little and Palmore voted against the certification.
According to state law, any request for a recount of the election must be filed within 48 hours of the certification of the results. Any lawsuit contesting the results must be filed within five days of the certification.
Lori Lein, general counsel for the Alabama League of Municipalities, said the canvassing is not discretionary and is simply an administrative task of the City Council. If a suit is filed, it will not stop the newly elected officials from being sworn in to their offices on Nov. 5, Lein said.
“It doesn’t stop the process of city business from going on,” she said.
Selase, who was at the meeting to hear the certification of the results, said he ran a fair and clean campaign. He said his campaign workers who were on site at the polling places didn’t report any questionable activities.
“We’re just excited to be there,” Selase said. “I look forward to taking office after the Nov. 5 ceremony.”
Two proposals by Little – one to pay former Councilman John Spain’s legal expenses for lawsuits related to his time in office and one to conduct an inquiry into alleged activities in the Public Works and Police departments – died for lack of a second.
In other business, the council:
-- Approved a tax abatement package for Interstate Sheet Metal Company and H&G, LLC
-- Approved an agreement between Anniston-Calhoun County HOME Consortium and Ridgecrest Estates.
Other local cities certify election results JACKSONVILLE — The City Council adopted without incident the unofficial election-night ballot counts and three additional provisional ballots judged countable by the county Board of Registrars.
Official election winners include:
Mayor - Johnny Smith
Council Place 1 - Jerry Parris and George Areno (advance to Oct. 9 runoff)
Council Place 2 - Mark Jones
Council Place 5 - Jonathan Tompkins
Board of Education Place 3 - Kelley Haynes Pearce
Board of Education Place 4 - Emily Sims
Board of Education Place 5 - David Glass
WEAVER –<./b> The City Council adopted 614 provisional ballots Tuesday, one week after the municipal elections.
Official election winners include:
Mayor – Wayne Willis
Council Place 1 – Mike Warren
Council Place 2 – Tim McRay
Council Place 3 – Ellen Cole
Council Place 4 – Keith Campbell and Les Hill (advance to Oct. 9 runoff)
Council Place 5 – Jeff Clendenning
PIEDMONT – The City Council approved election results Tuesday.
Official election winners include:
Council District 1 – Ben Keller
Council District 7 – Terry Kiser
Runoffs will be held Oct. 9 in the following races:
Mayor – Brent Morrison and Rick Freeman
Council District 3 – Ed Hanson and Frank Cobb
Council District 4 – Kenny Kelley and Crystal Brown
Council District 5 – Diane Studdard and Bernda Spears
At an earlier meeting, Mary Bramblett was certified as the winner in Council District 2 and Bill Baker was certified as the winner in Council District 6. Both ran unopposed.
OXFORD — The City Council adopted without incident the election night ballot counts and each council member received certificates of election.
Official election winners include:
Mayor – Leon Smith
Council Place 1 – Phil Gardner
Council Place 2 – Charlotte Hubbard
Council Place 3 – Mike Henderson
Council Place 4 – Chris Spurlin
Council Place 5 – Steven Waits
HOBSON CITY — The Town Council adopted without incident the election night ballot counts.
Official election winners include:
Council Place 1 – Susie Jones
Council Place 2 – O’Mildred Ball
Council Place 3 – Deneva Barnes
Council Place 4 – Frederick Striplin
Council Place 5 – Joe Cunningham
In the mayoral race, Alberta McCrory and Eric Stringer advance to the Oct. 9 runoff.
