A petition on Change.org has been organized, seeking the investigation of alleged voter fraud in the Aug. 27 Tuscaloosa elections, the prosecution of illegal actions and the discipline of University of Alabama students for potential misconduct.
The petition is addressed to Walter Maddox, mayor of Tuscaloosa; Jim Bennett, secretary of state of Alabama; Luther Strange, attorney general of Alabama; and Judy Bonner, president of The University of Alabama. The petition was created by a group listed as “Friends of Tuscaloosa.”
So far, the petition has 263 signatures from community members signing for reasons listed such as “my child’s education should not hinge on free beer” and “the Machine should not control city elections.”
Elizabeth Stanard, a Northport business owner and Tuscaloosa native, said the petition has now been sent to its addressees.
“The original goal was to reach 250 signatures and to build a concerned coalition,” Stanard said. “If the petition surpasses its original goal, that would broaden its reach. However, this has set a promising foundation for further discussion.”
Bonner issued a statement Sept. 7 stating the University would wait to take action until the results of the court proceedings and municipal and state investigations were known.
“The University of Alabama does not have the authority to investigate the outcome of a municipal election, including allegations about which students chose to vote in that election, for whom they voted or why they cast the votes they did,” the statement read.
The petition lists excerpts from the Code of Alabama, pertaining to voting and election laws, and the UA Student Code of Conduct, outlining organizational misconduct and the observation of state and federal law.
The comments refer to the alleged voter fraud that occurred leading up to, during and after the Aug. 27 Tuscaloosa municipal elections. The alleged fraud centers around the Board of Education race, specifically pertaining to District 4, where students hold a significant portion of the votes.
Allegations assert that Cason Kirby, the challenger for the District 4 seat, who defeated incumbent Kelly Horwitz by 72 votes, won by bribing UA students, specifically sorority and fraternity members, with free drinks, rides to the polls and Panhellenic and in-house points for voting.
Just three days before the election, the University’s TV station WVUA reported that 10 unrelated individuals were registered using the same single-family home address to vote. Public records show these individuals were all registered UA students.
As of Sept. 6, Horwitz has officially filed to challenge the results of the election. Kirby’s attorney, Andy Campbell, denied the allegations and called Kirby a “good and honest person” in an emailed statement.
See the petition at www.change.org/petitions/investigate-alleged-voter-fraud-in-the-8-27-13-tuscaloosa-elections-prosecute-illegal-actions-and-discipline-uofa-student-misconduct.
