8 Sep 2015 Board of Supervisors' Transparency Report

The following is the report I presented at last night's BOSs' Meeting.  As always, I do not know how to upload documents and pictures.  There is a list to the documents at the end of this post.  If you would like to see these documents, they are available in the Chancery Clerk's Office.

I feel a need to make this statement:  I have been criticized for well, criticizing Cedric Burnett.  Do you think this is fun for me or I go looking for things to report to you?  If you think that, you would be wrong.  I report what I can document from what others tell me and when I am hit in the face with wrong doing.  For the life of me, I do not under why some people blindly follow this man and keep voting for him.

So, here's the report:

8 Sep 2015 @ Board of Supervisors’ Meeting @ 5p

Thank you for the appointment this evening.

The purpose of this report is to give you documented information from my experiences as a Poll Watcher at the Tunica Library on 4 Aug 2015.  At the conclusion of this report, the Transparency Committee will be asking you to consider voter reregistration for all of Tunica County.

At approximately 11:30p on Mon, 3 Aug 2015, I received supplies to use as I volunteered to Poll Watch for Candidate Marilyn Young.  Included in these supplies were my Credentials to be a Poll Watcher and a copy of the voter rolls for Precinct 4.  As you are now aware, I am not one who just shows up without doing my homework.  So, at 11:30p I sat down to review the voter roll. 

As I’ve reported to you more than a few times in the past, the first thing I looked for was voters who had not voted since 2004.  I have been trying to get the Election Commission to purge the voter rolls for the County and place those who had not voted since 2004 on the inactive voter roll.  This latest voter roll proved that voters who had not voted since 2004 were still on the voter. 

As an aside, Election Commission President Elijah Williams stated to me that “You don’t really expect any of these people to come in and vote do you?”  Well, guess what Mr. Williams, 2 such voters voted on 4 Aug 2015 at the Tunica Library.

Back to my examination of the voter rolls for Precinct 4 on the evening of 3 Aug 2015.  After highlighting those who have not voted since 2004, I went column by column to familiarize myself with the list of voters.

On 4 Aug 2015, I arrived at Precinct 4 before 7a.  During the day I witnessed more than a few problems at this location.  I will limit this report to 3 instances and the harassment I experienced as I watched the polls.

It’s Election Day:

1. There are 30 absentee ballots listed for Precinct 4.

2. Voters who are listed as not having voted since 2004 but voted in this elections:
1. Shirley R. Figgs
2. James Henry Wilson (voted absentee)
3. Early on it became apparent that there was something wrong with the voter rolls as many citizens were arriving to vote and found their names were not on the rolls.
4. When Candidate Cedric Burnett arrived at the polls, both Poll Managers (Ruby Jones and Mary Carter) jumped up for hugs.  Let’s be clear, Poll Managers, Bailiffs and Poll Workers as their first qualification to volunteer have to be impartial.  I have been a Poll Watcher for various candidates at Precinct 4 at least 3 times.  All three times both Jones and Carter were Poll Managers.  Their behavior on 4 Aug 2015 was nothing new.  Additionally, Jones and Carter called the Circuit Clerk and asked the Circuit Clerk to decide questions around whether a voter can vote on a machine or a challenge or an affidavit.  These decisions are to be made at the Precinct and if Poll Managers are not capable of making those decisions they do not need to be placed in these very important positions.
5. During the morning 2 Town of Tunica police officers were dispatched by the Sheriff’s Department to investigate a disturbance at Precinct 4.  There was no disturbance.
6. Then the Chair of the DEC and Marilyn Young were called by the Sec. of States Office with a complaint that I needed to be removed from the Precinct because I was trying to find out how people were voting.  This complaint was quickly debunked.  The Sec of State’s Office reported that the complaining phone call came from the Tunica County Circuit Clerk.  Blogger's note:  Isn't it strange that I was Poll Watching for Marilyn Young and "someone" wanted me removed?  And isn't it strange that it is pretty well known in Tunica County that I am not going to be quiet when I see something that is wrong?  Just saying.
7. First of 2 voter problems:
1. Michael Eugene Johnson, Jr. is a resident of Beat 2 and lives at 917 School Street.
2. Johnson, Jr. came in to vote and found his name was not on the voter rolls.
3. Johnson, Jr. was allowed to vote on a machine.
4. However, I believe when the voter roll was checked off, the Poll Manager marked Michael Eugene Johnson, Sr. who lives at 1300 Cummings.
5. After Johnson, Jr. left, I asked the Poll Manager to check to see if she had marked Johnson, Sr. as having voted.  Reason: What would happen if Johnson, Sr. arrived to vote only to find out his name had already been marked as having voted?
6. The Poll Manager slammed the roll book, said she isn’t lookin’ up nothin’ and left the room.
7. Then a process server from the Sheriff’s Department showed up at the Precinct to ask the location of Bob Tuchel so that he could be served a summons for the next day, 5 Aug 2015 at 10a.  This is the second time the Sheriff’s Department has done this.  First of all, they know where we live and second they know the difference between Bob and me.  Quit bothering me with summons for Bob.  I am not a member of the DEC and I am not Bob Tuchel.  Btw, how did the Sheriff’s Department know that I was at the Library? Blogger's note: Summons are to be served 10 days prior to appearance.
8. The second voter problem I am reporting about came at approximately 12:25p.  The evening before, I recognized an address on the voter roll as being concerning.  Googling the address found that it did not exist.  And here we go again!  Clara Burnett’s address on the voter roll is listed as 1095 Prichard which is where she lives.  The address for Rachelle Burnett is listed on the voter roll as 1095 Beatline Road.  Now, I don’t know Rachelle Burnett from Adam’s House Cat.  I look at what is listed and try to find the truth or the problem.
9. When Rachelle Burnett arrived at the Precinct, I approached the sign-in table and asked which address was correct so that it could be corrected on the voter roll.  Rachelle stated that both addresses were correct.  I then told the Poll Manager I was challenging this ballot.  Rather than making the decision at the Precinct as is the procedure, the Poll Manager called the Circuit Clerk and said she was told to let her (Rachelle Burnett) vote on a machine rather than a Challenge Ballot. Blogger's note: The Challenge was not accepted.  Why?  Because her last name was Burnett? 
10. After the Election I researched the above circumstance.  Bob and I took pictures on Beatline Road and there is no such address.  I have included among the documentation in this report what I found online.  The documents show an address at 2052 Heritage Place in Morrow, GA  30260-2500.  Her relatives are listed as Cedric Burnett, Clara Burnett, Earl Burnett and Tishia Hollerway.  I have to ask you all.  You know this type of stuff is going on.  Why aren’t you acting?
11. So, that’s the 2 examples from the Precinct.
12. The next example came from the Affidavit Caucus during the afternoon of Wed, 5 Aug 2015.  At the Tunica Auditorium there were 9 Affidavit Ballots and all nine were rejected.  The rejected ballots were:

                           i. Tony Miller
             ii.  Florine Shannon

                                       iii.    Marlon Sutton

                                       iv.    Beatrice Monroe

                                         v.    Rena Jackson

                                       vi.    Doris Shannon

                                      vii.    Patricia Pounds

                                     viii.    Shandrica Pearson

                                       ix.    Adrian McKay

11. When McKay’s name was announced I asked if this was the same Adrian McKay that was the Tunica County Comptroller.  The answer was yes.  I asked the address.  I was told 1008 Wilson in Tunica.  Note:  The Tunica Times was present during this questioning.)
12.                                           i.    I knew that McKay lived at 6425 Shenandoah Lane in Olive Branch.

                                        ii.    I asked the Chancery Clerk in Hernando to send copies of Adrian and Shawonda McKay’s Homestead Exemption for their home in Olive Branch and copies are included in this report.

                                       iii.    The McKays’ Homestead Exemption Application was filed on 15 Jan 2015.

                                       iv.    The home on Wilson was deeded to Adrian McKay on 28 Jul 2015 and this documentation is also included with this report.  Owning property in Tunica County does not necessarily mean you can vote in Tunica County.

                                         v.    Since when is it okay to live in another county, claim a tax credit in another county and vote in Tunica County?  We even have people claiming Homestead in other counties and trying to get on our ballot.  This just isn’t right and you all know it isn’t right.

                                       vi.    Hopefully, this Board and the County Administrator will discuss this with the Comptroller and report back to the public.  We do have a right to know why someone who is in-charge of Tunica County finances thought this was okay.

Blogger's Note: There are those in our Community who want to replace the current County Administrator with Adrian McKay.  Now that this has come up in a very public setting, how can you support this?  If you do, you are a problem.

Conclusions: The Election on 4 Aug 2015 in Tunica County was a disaster on so many levels.  I’ve only reported to you some of what I witnessed.  Believe me, I have heard a lot more but I try to report only what I can document.

At Precinct 4, we’ve learned that Ruby Jones and Mary Carter were called the night before the Election.  If that is true, what happened to the 2 Managers who were trained by JJ Clay?  Are we to believe they both were sick or had to work or decided at the last minute not to serve?

After all of the problems, I’m more inclined to believe this “switch” was planned all along.  Maybe you have another idea but this is what has occurred to me.

What can you do to help?  Get the list of who was trained by the Circuit Clerk’s Office, learn where they were assigned and find out why they decided to not serve.

What else?  The Board of Supervisors can take over the duties of the Election Commission because they are not doing their job.  You’ve heard this request before.  When are you going to act?

And finally, the 2010 Census reported we had 10,778 men, women and children in Tunica County.  On 27 Jul 2015, the Tunica County Voter Rolls showed 6,554 registered voters.  That seems a bit high to me.  Perhaps it is time the Tunica County Board of Supervisors called for a voter reregistration of Tunica County.

Documents in the Chancery Clerk's Office:

1. My Poll Watcher Credential Authorization
2. Page 199 of the Tunica County Voter Roll dated 27 Jul 2015.  This shows a listing for Michael Eugene Johnson, Sr. but no listing for Michael Eugene Johnson, Jr.
3. Page 179 of the Tunica County Voter Roll dated 27 Jul 2015.  This shows a listing for Clara Burnett and Rachelle Burnett.
4. A picture of the residence at 1075 Beatline Road.
5. A picture of the residence at 1077 Beatline Road.
6. A picture of the residence at 1099 Beatline Road. Note: There is not 1095 Beatline Road.
7. An online record for Rachelle Burnett showing her relatives as Cedric Burnett, Clara Burnett, Earl Burnett and Tishia Hollerway.
8. An online record for Rachelle Burnett showing her address at: 2052 Heritage Place in Morrow, GA.
9. My handwritten notes from the Affidavit Ballot Canvas on 5 Aug 2015.
10. Page 250 of the Tunica County Voter Roll dated 27 Jul 2015.  This shows no listing for Adrian McKay.
11. A picture of the envelope from the Desoto County Chancery Clerk.
12. A copy of the Homestead Application for Adrian McKay in Horn Lake, MS for the year 1997.
13. A copy of the Homestead Application for Adrian and Shawonda McKay in Olive Branch, Mr.  This application is dated 15 Jan 2015.

Blogger's note:  I also have a copy of the transfer of the 1008 Wilson Street property to Adrian McKay on 28 Jul 2015.  I didn't turn this in with this report because owning property in Tunica County does not give you the right to vote in Tunica County unless the property is where you are domiciled.  Just how many other people are influencing our elections while not living here?  How many of you are ready to stand-up and help make the necessary changes?