Claims illegal votes cast in sheriff’s race
Republican challenger Mike Blackmon has filed suit challenging the results of the Nov. 8 General Election which showed him losing to incumbent Democratic Sheriff Randy Brock by two votes following a recount of ballots in Conecuh County.
The election challenge was filed Monday in Conecuh County Circuit Court.
Following the Nov. 8 election, unofficial results showed Brock with 2,224 votes and Blackmon with 2,223. After counting provisional ballots, Brock has 2,225 and Blackmon had 2,225. A recount was ordered and the canvassing board declared Brock as the winner with 2,228 votes to Blackmon’s 2,226.
In suit, Blackmon claims “that ballots not due to be counted were included in the declared results, and, as a result of including these illegal votes, Contestant (Blackmon) was not named as the winner of the sheriff election”.
Blackmon claims that the certified results included more than two votes counted for Brock were not marked for Brock and not marked as a straight party vote for Brock.
Blackmon claims legal votes for him were not counted noting that straight Republican Party votes were not counted for him.
“As a result of these errors, Contestant (Blackmon) is due to be declared the winner of the election for the office of sheriff for Conecuh County,” the suit reads.
Blackmon claims he should have received at least two more votes from straight-party voting and claimed Brock received at least one illegal vote from an absentee ballot.
“There were more than two illegal votes cast in the race that were included in the tabulation cast in favor of Brock and the number of illegal votes cast in the race, if declared illegal, would sufficiently reduce the number of votes cast for Brock and would result in Blackmon having a sufficient number of votes to have him being declared the winner of the election and sheriff of Conecuh County, Alabama,” the suit reads.
The suit asks for Blackmon to be declared the winner of the election. It does note that if Blackmon and Brock have an equal number of votes that the governor be given the authority to fill be vacancy for the office of sheriff.
