New election for Lee Co. Dem primary over claims of voter disenfranchisement

By Catherine Reynolds

(Bishopville) July 2, 2004 - A vocational school in Lee County is where a controversy started nearly a month ago. Mary Grant and E. Sutton say in the June 8th primary, African-Americans had trouble voting.

Grant spoke to News 10, "From the way they were spoken to, until the way their eligibility was questioned. We had calls from voters who were told their drivers license was not enough ID."

Sutton filed a complaint with the Lee County election commission. It was denied, so he took his concern to the state Democratic Party.

Sutton says people in sworn statements wrote about problems they experienced when voting at the precinct. It was enough for the party to approve a new election, "We demonstrated and proved clearly that African-Americans were terribly affected by the way they were treated and they were turned away from polls."

Grant is more succinct in her assessment, "This was absolutely outright racist."

Read More >>