Racism, Voter Fraud Cloud Election

Alabama Election  A hotly contested election could end up in court with claims of racism and voter fraud.
by Jessica Taloney
Published: Tue, October 14, 2008 - 5:25 pm CST Last Updated: Tue, October 14, 2008 - 5:29 pm CST
Hundreds of people waited outside, while Evergreen's city council decided the fate of the city's top job inside. Council members counted eight provisional ballots to determine who would be the city's next mayor.

Incumbent Mayor Larry Fluker trailed by just two votes in last week's run-off, but Tuesday's count tipped the election in his favor. After the provisional ballots were tallied, the council certified the election declaring Fluker the winner. The final count gave Fluker the two vote edge with 1,028 votes, while his challenger, Pete Wolff III, received 1,026 votes.

Wolff is vowing to contest the election, saying his attorney has already filed a lawsuit claiming there was voter fraud.

"We hadn't lost yet, this is just a temporary set back," said Wolff, who insists he has proof that ballots were cast in the election using the names of dead people. Wolff also questioned the integrity of the provisional ballots saying they were not handled properly.

One of Wolff's supporters, who also served as a poll worker, says she witnessed voter fraud.

"I've worked as a poll worker for 35 years, and this is the worst election I've ever seen" says Annie Wiley. "I had to add at least 15 people to my list that were not on there by order of the city clerk," she says.

Fluker, who was elected four years ago as Evergreen's first black mayor, addressed his supporters in an impromptu speech on the steps of city hall. "Today we have put to rest those divisive efforts on the part of some people in this community to divide this community racially, to divide it socially and economically," he said.

More than 2,000 people voted in last week's election, which is nearly 85% of Evergreen's registered voters. Typically the city sees a 15 to 20% turnout.

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Another words when everyone meets all your expectations then you will consider them as your equals ? I thought all men were created equal, not just if they met someone expectations. Everyone is entilted to their opinions and how they live their lives even if they aren’t shared by me or you or anyone else. They are citizens of Evergreen whether they be white or black and it’ll never be a united city and everyone treated equally unless people quit driving the race wedge between the races. This is just my most humble opinion and I have no dog in this fight.

When all citizens of Evergreen are treated equal, I will refer to them as ‘the citizens’ of Evergreen.  When there is no more ‘Confederate Flags’ in this town, I will refer to them as ‘the citizens’ of Evergreen.  When there is no longer a need for the NAACP in this town, I will refer to them as ‘the citizens of Evergreen’.  When I can go to town and shop without having “whites” think simply because I am white they can make racist remarks because they assume I am white and racist like them, I will refer to them as ‘citizens of Evergreen’.  When I can ride down the road and not see a Church sign telling me to come there on Sunday and learn why I am about to be “Raptured” because Obama might become President and if a black man does that, he must be the anti-Christ and thus, the Lord is taking us whites home, I will refer to them as ‘the citizens of Evergreen’.  When the people realize that with one blood God made ALL man, I will refer to them as ‘the citizens of Evergreen’.

Getreal,Watch it your true colors are showing. whether you realize it or not,you’re throwing the race card out there while trying to appear as impartial. You don’t help the cause of peace by referring to the citizens of the city as either white or black,just as citizens of Evergreen will do .

I am a white male.  It is sad I feel the need to tell you all that.  I have lived in Evergreen most of my life.  Five years ago, Evergreen was a nasty looking town.  It isn’t so nasty looking now thanks to Mayor Fluker.  Several businesses have come to town.  Mayor Fluker has done a great job as mayor.  Evergreen is cleaner and the quality of living is higher.  Rumors have taken control of Evergreen.  Nothing more than rumors and gossip.  This saddens me.  It is easy to say that not wanting Mayor Fluker in office has nothing to do with race.  Sometimes, it isn’t the truth.  Racism runs wild in Evergreen.  From whites and blacks.  However, from my talks with people in the community and things I have witnessed, it is a few troublemakers, mostly white, that have lead to this unnecessary racial tension.  Rumor and gossip.  Mayor Fluker won because he was the best candidate and he could do wonders in this town if some whites would stop working against him.  I am white.  Go Fluker. Go Obama.

If Fluker is such a great mayor, why is the city still in decline?

To Blessed !—you might want to get Mr. McIntyre’s side of the story about him raising the rent being the reason businesses are closing. Of the number of businesses that have closed, he did not own all of the buildings.  I believe that if you own a business in Evergreen, you should have the right to vote on city officials, after all these officials are the ones that will be making decisions that will effect your business.

It’s just sad for things to be this way this day and time. This just lets us know that things are no different then what they were back in the 60’s. Myself living in Conecuh County all my life have seen so many things go on that’s not called for and this is one of them. We all need to learn the facts before we post them to the entire world to see. 1st of all this county has been gone down way before Mayor Fluker took the office as Mayor. This was done by previous Mayors one I personally worked under was Mayor Cassidy. I watched this man come into the office for no more than 10 hours a week. You can not run a city this way and anything else for that matter. 2nd as for the businesses closing Mayor Fluker was not in office when most of these businesses that were being bought up closed Mayor Cassidy were. The reason so many are closing now is because of Mr. McIntyre raising rent so much until they can’t function. Need I remind you that he lives now in Covington County and because he has a business in Conecuh County he voted in this race. This is the 3rd matter if you want to look at one for voter fraud, just make sure your back door was swept around first. I say that because either way it went a law suit was going to be filled because they both saw and was being told of the same things. So I say to them both if you don’t want your skeletons out don’t dig up anyone else’s. But I do feel that Mayor Fluker ran a very clean race. At no point did he try to lie on the opponent, degrade him in the papers, or dig things up that had nothing to do with him unlike Pete Wolf. I say when you do things right you will have victory at he end. You may not see it at that moment but it will come.

Larry Fluker and the NAACP made this a race issue. Nobody else.

I think it is ridiculous to keep bringing up racism. Not everything is a black and white issue. Having an organization who only accepts people of one color tell you how to vote seems like a form of slavery to me. Going into churches and trying to persuade the people there to vote like you so you can “stick together” seems unethical.  Stick together against who is my question….Who is making the separation between the people of Evergreen now? What ever happened to separation of religion and state?

hey carl and rose if you see my dad up there voting in that election tell him i need to find out wehre the survey posts are from the last survey. still having fence issues but my new fence is still up. adding the halogen lamps today, 25 of them, gonna be like high noon at midnight out here.

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