At least four elections in the U.S. have been overturned by courts this year after voting irregularities and fraud were discovered, prompting new balloting in most of those races.
In 2020 and 2022 general elections, numerous lawsuits were brought challenging results amid alleged irregularities. This year, a few lawsuits have been decided on 2023 elections and on a 2022 election, which resulted in the initial results being overturned.
On Tuesday, a Louisiana judge voided the results of a local sheriff’s race and ordered a runoff election after illegal votes were discovered.
The decision was made by retired Louisiana Supreme Court Justice E. Joseph Bleich. He was assigned the case because the four justices on the bench had recused themselves citing conflict of interest.
A runoff date of March 23, 2024, has been set for the Caddo Parish sheriff’s contest.
Democratic candidate Henry Whitehorn defeated GOP candidate John Nickelson by one point in the Nov. 18 election, leading to Nickelson requesting a recount.
Each candidate received three additional votes in the recount, still resulting in Whitehorn’s one-vote victory.
Nickelson filed a lawsuit challenging the results and requesting a special election, claiming that illegal votes were cast, reported KTAL News, a local NBC affiliate.
Bleich ruled a new election take place after 11 illegal votes were discovered.
According to the decision, two people voted twice, at least five absentee ballots were counted that shouldn’t have been because they failed to comply with the law, and four invalid votes cast by unqualified voters were counted.
In November, nearly a week before the mayoral general election in Bridgeport, Connecticut, a judge overturned the results of the election’s Democrat mayoral primary and ordered a new election in connection to allegations of absentee ballot abuse.
Bridgeport Superior Court Judge William Clark made the decision after a video was posted online that appeared to show a supporter of incumbent Democrat Mayor Joe Ganim stuffing stacks of papers into a ballot drop box, according to WNPR Connecticut Public Radio.
Clark determined the allegations of possible malfeasance were sufficient to toss out the results of the Sept. 12 primary, which Ganim won by 251 votes out of 8,173 cast.
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