Current:Home > ScamsCourt upholds judge’s ruling ordering new election in Louisiana sheriff’s race decided by one vote -FinanceCore
Court upholds judge’s ruling ordering new election in Louisiana sheriff’s race decided by one vote
View
Date:2025-04-17 12:07:09
SHREVEPORT, La. (AP) — A divided state appeals court has upheld a judge’s ruling ordering a new election for a Louisiana sheriff’s race that was decided by a single vote.
In a 3-2 ruling, the Second Circuit Court of Appeal in Shreveport, Louisiana, said Tuesday the Republican candidate for sheriff in Caddo Parish, John Nickelson, had shown two people illegally voted twice in the Nov. 18 election and four others voted though they were ineligible to cast ballots.
The majority, additionally, found no error in the lower court judge’s determination that Nickelson could not have known about the problematic votes before election day.
“Considering the one-vote margin between the candidates, the invalidation of these six votes is alone sufficient to make it legally impossible to determine the result of the election,” Judge Jeff Robinson wrote for the majority.
Democrat Henry Whitehorn, the declared winner in the sheriff’s race, had argued that Nickelson had not challenged the votes in time. Whitehorn had also argued that Nickelson failed to establish that any of the challenged voters voted in the sheriff’s race.
Whitehorn said he planned to continue fighting in court.
“My opponent did not prove that any of these alleged irregularities caused him to lose,” he said in a statement on his campaign’s Facebook page.
Whitehorn had been declared the winner last month after topping Nickelson by the one-vote margin, from more than 43,000 ballots cast. A recount produced the same result.
In a dissenting opinion, Second Circuit Court of Appeal Judge Shonda Stone said the lower court failed to address why Nickelson could not have challenged the votes at the polls.
In a separate dissent, Judge Marcus Hunter said there was no proof that the voting irregularities were “so pervasive” they warranted tossing the election results. He added that Nickelson had failed to prove that the outcome of the election would have been different without the irregularities.
“In a time where elections and election integrity are increasingly coming under heavy bipartisan fire, this Court should be careful to safeguard, and when necessary, refrain from tossing the accelerant of every closely contested election to the log pile of controversy, further stoking such divisive flames,” he wrote.
The Caddo Parish sheriff’s race is the country’s second local election this year in which a judge has voided the result. Last month, a judge ordered a redo of a Democratic mayoral primary in Connecticut’s largest city due to possible ballot stuffing, a case that fueled conspiracy theories pushed on social media.
The topic of election integrity has also been at the forefront of national politics after former President Donald Trump’s false claims about the 2020 presidential election.
The one-vote margin in the Caddo Parish sheriff’s race also put a spotlight on Louisiana’s recount process. It is the only state that continues to use paperless touchscreen voting machines, which do not produce an auditable paper trail that experts say is critical to ensure results are accurate.
Election officials, including Louisiana Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin, have reiterated that the state’s elections are secure and there are checks and balances to ensure voting integrity.
veryGood! (3917)
Related
- Dick Vitale announces he is cancer free: 'Santa Claus came early'
- What to know about Elijah McClain’s death and the criminal trial of two officers
- For 100th anniversary, Disney's most famed characters will be commemorated on Vans shoes
- 2030 World Cup set to be hosted by Spain-Portugal-Morocco with 3 South American countries added
- Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
- This Top-Rated Rowing Machine Is $450 Off—and Is Selling Out!
- Grizzly bear kills couple and their dog at Banff National Park in Canada
- A 'dream' come true: Now there are 2 vaccines to slash the frightful toll of malaria
- At site of suspected mass killings, Syrians recall horrors, hope for answers
- Kevin McCarthy removed as House speaker in historic vote
Ranking
- 'We're reborn!' Gazans express joy at returning home to north
- Ex-CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch accused of sexually exploiting young men: BBC report
- Jamie Lynn Spears eliminated in shocking 'Dancing With the Stars' Week 2. What just happened?
- Michael Jordan, now worth $3 billion, ranks among Forbes' richest 400 people
- Romantasy reigns on spicy BookTok: Recommendations from the internet’s favorite genre
- The Hollywood writers strike is over. What's next for the writers?
- Rep. Henry Cuellar's carjacking highlights rising crime rate in nation's capital
- Arrest made in case of motorcyclist seen smashing in back of woman’s car, police say
Recommendation
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow owns a $3 million Batmobile Tumbler
Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, SZA and More Lead 2023 MTV EMA Nominations: See the Complete List
Mauricio Umansky Reacts to Explosive RHOBH Trailer Amid Kyle Richards Marriage Troubles
'Ted Radio Hour' launches special 6-part series: Body Electric
What do we know about the mysterious drones reported flying over New Jersey?
Florida man executed by lethal injection for killing 2 women he met in bars a day apart
San Francisco will say goodbye to Dianne Feinstein as her body lies in state at City Hall
Behind Taylor Swift, Chiefs-Jets is NFL's second-most watched game of 2023 regular season