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Contact Brad White 601-948-5191 brad@msgop.org

For Immediate Release05/13/2010News Release

LEFLORE ELECTION COMMISSION AGREES TOGOPS ELECTION DEMANDS

Consent Decree settles 2008 dispute; safeguards future elections

Circuit Court Judge Jannie M. Lewis recently approved a consent decree requiringLeflore County to comply with Mississippi election law regarding voter assistance,unauthorized loitering at precincts, poll watcher rights, and ballot security.

Essentially, this court order requires Leflore County to follow Mississippi election laws.In the past, if they violated the law, we would have to get a judge to investigate andmake a ruling and just like this, it would be months or years after the election before

anything was settled. Now, if Leflore County violates these laws, we can ask the Sheriffto enforce this court order while the election is still going on, explained Brad White,Mississippi Republican Party Chairman.

White continued, This order is a win for fair elections in Leflore County and provides ablueprint for other counties to make sure those running elections follow the law.

The Mississippi Republican Party filed suit following the November 2008 election, whenRepublican poll watchers and observers from the Secretary of State Office documentedabuses including voter intimidation, the illegal directing of voters on whom to vote, theremoval of ballots from the voting area, and the improper restriction of lawful pollwatchers. Individuals illegally loitering in the precinct were voting for or instructing voterson who to cast their vote, which included improperly influencing votes for DemocratRonnie Musgrove for U.S. Senate.

The lawsuit asked the Court to issue a writ of mandamus to bind the defendants andtheir successors to properly execute their responsibilities in future elections because themisdeeds were "capable of repetition, yet evading review" in future elections. Theconsent decree settles the lawsuit without Leflore County admitting fault; yet agreeing tocomply to the Republican demands.

Key provisions of the order:

Voting assistance is only allowed if the voter alone requests permission forassistance from a poll worker and does so solely based upon the expressed

grounds of blindness, disability or illiteracy. No request for assistance shall beallowed from a person other than the voter. No one shall be allowed in thepolling location nor the surrounding areato ask potential voters if they requireassistance in voting. No one other than a person lawfully providing voterassistance may be allowed to observe a voter cast his or her vote.

The order excludes unauthorized individuals from the polling location and thirty(30) feet in every direction from the pollsno persons shall be allowed in the

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polling location other than voters, persons from whom the voter properly requestsassistanceauthorized poll watchers and officers of the election.

That properly credentialed poll watchers must be allowed a suitable position tocarefully inspect theelectionmust allow the poll watcher the abilitytoproperly challenge the qualifications of any person offering to vote.

Voters by affidavit ballot may not take ballots into adjourning rooms which arenot within the supervision and eye sight of the poll workers.

The consent decree must be posted at each precinct in Leflore County and eachpoll manager and election bailiff shall be given a copy during poll worker training.

The Mississippi Republican Party is serious about fair, honest, and secure elections andwe will continue to work to protect voters to ensure their votes are not stolen or canceledout by dishonest activity, White said.

Lewis signed the consent decree on April 9. The document is attached.

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