Interesting Testimony Over Election Irregularities

During the trial Mrs. Bassham gave testimony that firmly established that she or her staff had fully explained, at least twice, to Mrs. Coleman the requirements for becoming a candidate for office in the 7^TH District.

Mrs. Bassham made it abundantly clear that she and her staff had explained numerous times that only those properly registered voters residing in the 7^TH District were qualified to sign a nominating petition and no one could sign for another person.

Mrs Bassham testified that she could remember nothing about when Mrs. Coleman turned in her nominating petition because there were so many other people turning in their petitions (ten) at the same time 8:50 AM on 1 April. Later it was shown that only two people had submitted their nominating petitions on that day prior to 10AM nowhere near the ten that was claimed.

Question: tell us specifically what happened at 8:50 AM on April 1^st when Mrs Coleman apparently brought in her nominating petition to your office.

Mrs. Bassham: “I don’t recall, that was the qualifying deadline, I don’t recall.”

When questioned about the large number of disqualified signatures on Mrs Coleman’s petition Mrs Bassham consistently replied, “I don’t recall” or “it was a mistake”.

When questioned about how the same signature on the school board petition had been disqualified but had been approved on the commissioner petition, Mrs Bassham no less than five times that, “she didn’t recall or she didn’t know” now such a “mistake” could be made.

Question: In looking at the receipt, it says, “Below information for election commission only”. And the first sentence says, “The signatures above have been compared with permanent registration records and are the same.”

Did your office actually compare those records of permanent registrations with the actual signatures on the petitions.

Mrs. Bassham: “I don’t recall”.

Question: Based on your review now should those persons have been approved?

Mrs Bassham: “No Sir”.

Question: Do you have any explanation why those signatures were approved.

Question: “No, sir I don’t. We in good faith thought they were correct . We made a mistake.”

Question: Can you explain how Ms. Johnson was disapproved on the earlier school board petition but accepted on the later commission petition?

Mrs. Bassham: “No sir, I cannot”

Then comes the matter of withdrawing from the school board race which Mrs Coleman had qualified for. Mrs Bassham testified that Mrs. Coleman had withdrawn from that race by coming into her office and requesting a withdrawal form and filling it out. Mrs Bassham seemed more than a little confused when questioned about this procedure.

Question: As a matter of course, do you not date stamp documents that come into your office?

Mrs. Bassham: “Yes, sir; normally we do. We did not.”

Question: For other persons who have withdrawn from office and filled out one of these forms, did you in fact date stamp those forms?

Mrs. Bassham: “I don’t recall. I don’t recall. She’s the only one that withdrew for this election. We didn’t have anymore.”

Question: When you were served with a subpoena to produce this document, do you recall being served with that?

Mrs. Bassham: (Respite)

Question: Do you recall being served with a subpoena wherein we requested this document?

Mrs. Bassham: “Yes, Sir.”

Question: Did you make a comment at the time to the gentleman who was serving you that you didn’t know what this document was?

Mrs. Bassham: “No, sir, No, I did not.”

During the testimony of Mrs. Bassham and Mrs. Coleman over seventy questions were answered with “I don’t recall” or “I don’t know”. Not once did they say “I don’t remember “ but always the same “I don’t recall.”