Democratic voters in two eastside precincts will again cast primary ballots in the Muncie City Council District 6 race, a Delaware County judge ruled on Friday.
Circuit Court 3 Judge Linda Ralu Wolf ordered that a special election be held Sept. 13 in precincts 12 and 20, voting at the Buley Center and Price Hall, respectively. Those are the polling sites that current District 6 council member — and apparent primary winner — Julius Anderson was accused of entering, in violation of election law, while the May 3 primary election was under way.
When the votes cast that day were tallied, Richard Ivy had finished 10 votes behind Anderson in a three-candidate primary field.
Ivy filed a lawsuit, accusing Anderson of improper behavior on the day of the election, resulting in a one-day trial presided over by Wolf on June 23. Numerous witnesses testified they saw Anderson inside the two polling places, at times wearing a T-shirt and cap touting his District 6 campaign.
In her ruling released Friday afternoon, Wolf wrote there was “clear and convincing evidence” that a “series of deliberate acts” by Anderson made it “impossible to determine who received the largest number of legal votes” in a “very close and hotly contested race.”
Full Article: Judge orders special Muncie City Council election in two precincts | The Star Press | thestarpress.com.