A Missouri appellate panel will rule by Oct. 15 on allegations of voter fraud in a state house district primary. The court heard oral arguments on Wednesday.
Will Royster lost by one vote to John J. Rizzo in House District 40 in August after several recounts.
In September Judge W. Stephen Nixon ruled there was not sufficient evidence about voter fraud, and the election should stand.
Royster’s appeal was heard Wednesday by judges Gary D. Witt, James M. Smart, Jr. and Mark D. Pfeiffer.
Each side was given 15 minutes for oral arguments, but the judges interrupted with questions.
Arnie Day, attorney for Will Royster, said no evidence presented in the case about voting irregularities had been contradicted in the earlier court hearing.
Day said that any deviations from a secret ballot must follow strict procedures, and that had not happened.
According to Day several Somali voters had been given “unlawful assistance” after not showing even a “rudimentary ability to speak English.” The Somali interpreter would not speak in English with the election judge but assisted a number of voters.
Day explained state laws about voter assistance were to protect voters from undue outside influence.
Presiding justice Smart said we “don’t know how suspicious it is that Somalis did not know English” and added “they were registered to vote.”
Source: Watchdog.org
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