NEW ORLEANS – The city’s top elections official refused on Monday to accept blame for the late arrival of voting machines at numerous polling stations – a problem that apparently disenfranchised thousands of voters.
Kimberly Williamson Butler, New Orleans’ criminal court clerk, said she warned state officials repeatedly of impending problems after many people she relied on – having evacuated for Hurricane Ivan last week – could not be reached the day before Saturday’s election.
She also suggested someone may have sought to sabotage voting, citing the mysterious disappearance of truck drivers who were supposed to deliver machines.
The drivers showed up initially but had been delayed because janitors could not be found to unlock numerous schools used as polling stations. According to Butler, the drivers said they were taking a break hours before the 6 a.m. opening time for the polls and never returned.
“Someone should ask whether they were encouraged not to return – if someone had some particular reason to throw the election,” Butler said. “If one or two didn’t come back, that would be one thing, but something is amiss here.”
Butler said she had no proof of sabotage, but added that drivers should be questioned about the matter.
The drivers work for Alabama-based Covan World-Wide Moving. Covan spokesman Andy Coleman said Monday that the company is investigating and had no comment.
Butler defended herself after Secretary of State Fox McKeithen said he and Attorney General Charles Foti were launching an investigation of New Orleans voting problems. They said Butler was responsible for ensuring the machines got to polling stations on time.
“We’re not pointing any fingers or placing any blame. We’re just trying to figure out what happened,” McKeithen, the state’s top elections official, said Monday. “I’ve been here 16 years and I’ve never seen a rodeo like that one.”
Several candidates who lost on Saturday – even one who qualified for a runoff but felt she should have won outright – have said they are looking into suing.
McKeithen said he expects lawsuits, but “you have to prove there were enough votes (in question) to affect the outcome.”
McKeithen added he had little choice but to keep the election on schedule, especially since Ivan ended up all but missing Louisiana.
“The law says you have to hold the election if at all possible. Obviously it was possible,” he said. McKeithen said he warned all clerks on Sept. 13 that the election would proceed unless there was a direct hit by the storm.
Foti said a state report on the voting machine problems would be completed before national and state elections on Nov. 2.
“We want to make sure that on Nov. 2, the polls are open and operational,” Foti said.
Associated Press Writer Adam Nossiter in Baton Rouge contributed to this report.
