New Election Scheduled In Baldwin County

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By Steve Alexander Reporter

M50o93H7pQ09L8X1t49cHY01Z5j4TT91fGfr New Election Scheduled In Baldwin County

Published: Fri, June 13, 2008 - 8:28 pm
Last Updated: Friday, June 13, 2008 - 8:42 pm

Steve Alexander

A new election has been scheduled in a Baldwin County School Board race where the probate court judge admitted there were voting problems.
It's scheduled in three precincts in the Republican primary race for school board seat from district five.
The three precincts are Magnolia Springs, Foley and Elberta.
It's set to take place on July 15, the same day as runoff elections are scheduled.
Only voters in those precincts who live in school district five will be able to vote.
The decision was reached Friday afternoon following a hearing that resembled a court case.
On one side of the courtroom was Angie Swiger, who, according to election results, won the Republican primary for the district five seat in the election June 3.
Certified returns had her defeating incumbent Margaret Long, seated on the other side of the courtroom, by 61 votes.
However, Baldwin County Probate Court Judge Adrian Johns confirmed voting irregularities at three precincts in Magnolia Springs. Foley and Elberta.
Johns said 172 people received ballots that didn't even list the school board race.
When asked how it happened, Johns said, "It was simply human error: plain and simple."
Incumbent Long wanted a new election and it was up to a jury of sorts to decide.
The "jury" was made up of members of the Baldwin County Republican Party Election Committee.
The "judge" was party chairman Don McGriff.
After Both Long and Swiger presented their cases, committee members deliberated for about 15 minutes.
Then McGriff announced what you might call the verdict.
He said, "That's our decision: we re-vote those three precincts."
Margaret Long said, "I think this is a good decision. I would have liked for it to be a whole new election."
When asked if she was a hundred percent happy with the decision, Angie Swiger said, "Well, not a hundred percent, but of course, I'm a very positive person and I'll continue to be positive."
When asked if he could assure the public voting problems like this wouldn't happen again, Johns told News Five, "You know, in the real world, in life, there are no guarantees. But we just work very hard in our training of election officials."
Johns said the next step is he's going to seek advice from the Alabama attorney general on whether the election is legal.

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