Posted on 11/05/2002 5:45:06 AM PST by luv2ndamend
LITTLE ROCK - The state Republican Party says it will ask the U.S. Attorney's Office to investigate allegations of voter fraud in Phillips County.
The GOP alleges irregularities that include early voters registering after the registration deadline and four convicted felons casting early ballots.
GOP chairman Marty Ryall said the party has gathered documentation including a list of early voters, voter registration applications and court orders.
"We believe there is extensive voter fraud in Phillips County," Ryall said.
Republicans sent officials to the county after receiving complaints about irregularities and noticing that more than 20 percent of the county's nearly 9,000 registered voters had voted early, he said.
The high percentage of early votes was a "red flag," Ryall said. By comparison, about 4 percent of Pulaski County's 242,000 registered voters had voted early as of Thursday.
In October, the sanitation director for Helena, the Phillips County seat, admitted in court to casting more than 25 absentee ballots in the Democratic primary in May.
U.S. Atty. Bud Cummins said Larry Gray's guilty plea was the first arising from an FBI investigation into allegations of election fraud in Phillips County.
Cummins declined to comment on the Republican allegations Friday.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.