September 28, 2006
For Immediate Release

Contact: Bob Cooper, prguynow@yahoo.com 401-447-6474 Days/Evenings
Hillary Joyce Scott, 401-261-2319 - Wilbur Jennings, 401-461-3176

RI BOARD OF ELECTIONS CONTINUES HEARING
By Friday, provisional ballots should be counted

(Providence, Rhode Island, USA) The RI Board of Elections again continued the election hearing on the complaint of Wilbur W. Jennings until this Friday. Only 11 votes separate him from the leader, Leon Tejada in the Ward 8 Counsel seat race.

Attorney Keven A. McKenna had filed two motions on behalf of Wilbur W. Jennings asking for a new election which were heard by a four person Board last night. The first motion, which asked for a new election due to “ballot stuffing” was stalled with two members for and two against.

The rule that “With no deciding member to cast a vote, in the event of a tie the motion can not prevail” was explained by McKenna to the board and the Ward 8 Neighborhood Action Committee. “It’s not dead either, and can be picked up by the board at a later time” McKenna said.

The second motion was for a new election due to administrative errors, specifically because there are a large number of ballots that the outside slip that identifies the voter is inside the sealed envelope instead of outside.

After deliberation, the board authorized the Providence Board of Canvassers to open the envelopes and identify the provisional voters who were being disenfranchised. From there, the board could disqualify or count the ballot. While the issue of secrecy was made, the board felt that this could be done without jeopardizing the privacy of the voter.

An hour later however, the board returned to the hearing room to continue the matter until Friday, when a clearly displeased Attorney Angel Tavares, who represents Leon Tejada alluded to legal action if the board did not certify Leon Tejada as the winner of the election.

Vice chairman Ianitti told Tavares that since we all had considerable time invested in this, he felt Tavares should wait until Friday so the board had time to feel comfortable that sufficient research was done to make sure this count was a fair and honest answer.

In response to observations that Mayor Cicilline, who had reputedly supported, orchestrated and even helped finance the Tejada candidacy may not provide any further support until this matter is settled, Atty Keven McKenna remarked, “Well, after the motions are completed, we still have the entire balance of the complaint and at least 20 to 35 witnesses to go . . .”

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Press site is at www.digitalgurune.com/jennings