The write-in candidate for the special election for the District 5 seat of Manning City Council held this week in three city precincts has filed a notice with the local Election Commission contesting the results.
Sharmane Anderson came in third in the election, which was to find the replacement for the late Gregory Witherspoon, who died in March.
Anderson garnered 28 votes, while Julius Dukes Jr. came out on top with 40 to Gloria Frierson's 31 and W. Louis Griffith's 27. Dukes and Frierson are scheduled to be in a runoff on July 22.
"I contested the results Thursday during the certification of votes," Anderson said Friday afternoon. "I have talked with several people who were turned around at the polls, even though they live within the district. They were not given provisional ballots, even."
Under state election law, if a poll worker has a question about a voter's place of residence, the worker must provide a provisional ballot. Those ballots are then verified during vote counting.
Anderson will appear before a magistrate judge and the Election Commission at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at Manning City Hall to make her case. She said she has several sworn affidavits.
"I'm hoping that they will determine what is fair for this race," Anderson said. "And if they do find discrepancies, I hope they follow state law."
State Election Commission spokesman Chris Whitmire could not be immediately reached for comment Friday.
Manninglive.com will post more as it becomes available.
