Disputes Over Absentee Ballots Continue In Columbus

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI-TV) – There’s a dispute over absentee ballots in our area. Some local elected officials are claiming Monday that people were manipulating Columbus absentee ballots in the recent election.

State Representative Kabir Karriem and Lowndes County Supervisor Leroy Brooks made statements Monday saying there’s a problem in Columbus with people affecting absentee voting.

In three of the five Columbus races this past Tuesday, one candidate received an overwhelming majority of the absentee ballots. In two of those races the candidate who got the most absentee votes was trailing after the machine-voting tally.

“I am familiar with how these ballots are manipulated,” Brooks said. “People should not be disenfranchised and the intent of their votes should count.”

Brooks says people mark the ballots for other people, without their knowledge.

“That does raise some alarm,” state representative Kabir Karriem said. “It’s just bringing awareness to folks who are voting by absentee, to make sure that their vote is being counted for the person they want to vote for.”

There were nearly 1,000 absentee ballots in last Tuesday’s Columbus primary races. That comprises more than one-fifth of all votes.

Absentee ballots for the May 16 primary runoff election in Ward 4 are now available. The in-person deadline is May 13. The by-mail deadline is May 15.