Wilbur W. Jennings Jr.

115 Sinclair Avenue
Providence, Rhode Island, 02907
Tel:  401-461-3617   –   Cell:  401-595-9216

 

Robert Kando
Board of Elections

50 Branch Avenue

Providence, Rhode Island 02904

 

November 10, 2006

 

Re:  Disrupt, interfere and disenfranchise Voters using power of office   

Complaint and Request for Relief

 

1.  Wilbur W. Jennings, Jr. is Democratic Ward 8 Committee Chairman who resides at 115 Sinclair Street in Providence.

 

2.  During the election on November 7^th, at the Reservoir Fire Station polling place, an elderly couple, known to Wilbur W. Jennings as voters who live in that ward and were eligible to vote appeared at the polls who claimed they could not vote without assistance.

 

3.  The disability voting machine were not working, so Jennings approached the warden, Ed Hicks and asked how to go about assisting the senior citizens with voting as they requested.

 

4.  The warden agreed this was permitted, explained the procedure and provided an affidavit to be filled out by the couple and by Jennings as the person assisting.

 

5.  Mayor David N. Cicilline was at the polling place and objected, claiming that Jennings would be "voting FOR the person." 

 

6.  When Warden Hicks began to explain the procedure again for the Mayor, Cicilline challenged him loudly to the growing crowd.  He then demanded Jennings not proceed with assisting.  When Jennings told Cicilline that he would help the people anyway, Cicilline loudly told Jennings and the growing crowd of onlookers that he would contest the election if Jennings did this, and he would have Jennings arrested.

 

7.  Cicilline repeated the arrest threat loudly a number of times and that he would challenge the election a second time while inside the polling place in the presence of people voting in the Local, State and Federal Election.

 

8.  Cicilline and Jennings went outside and the conversation concluded with Jennings continuing to say that people could be assisted in voting.  Representative Slater concurred with Jennings when directly and publicly asked by Jennings during this time but was separate and apart from the crowd gathered.

 

9.  Jennings went over to the other side of the polling entrance to speak with someone, was lawfully 50 feet from the poll, and had not yet re-entered the poll when Providence Police arrived.

 

10.  The officer spoke first with the Mayor, then went over to Jennings and told him to leave or he would be arrested.

 

11.  Jennings asked what he had done wrong, but was told aggressively that he would be arrested if he did not leave.

 

12.  Jennings departed without having assisted anyone vote at the poll that day.

 

 

WHEREFORE:

Complainant requests the Board of Elections act promptly to maintain the integrity of the Rhode Island Electoral Process.

 

Complainant also suggests the Board review the following suggested conclusions and make findings of these or any part thereof, or any that the Board might make sua sponte, imposing whatever sanctions or remedy the board has the power to impose.

 

Complainant suggests and requests this Board of Elections find that:

1. A city candidate for re-election used the power of his elected office in an attempt to influence a Federal, State and local election by using the police power under his control.

 

2. A city candidate for re-election used the power of his elected office in an attempt to intimidate and /or disenfranchise voters during a Federal, State and local election on election day by using the police power under his control.

 

3. A city candidate for re-election both individually and using the power of his elected office attempted to disrupt and interfere with the electoral process during a Federal and State election inside the polling place on election day using the police power under his control.

 

4.  A city candidate for re-election used his position as a licensed member of the bar association, and the elected power of his office to challenge and attempt to discredit a precinct warden who was properly and lawfully executing the duties of his position.

 

5.  A city candidate for re-election used his position as an attorney, and the elected power of his office to challenge and discredit a precinct warden who was properly and lawfully executing the duties of his position.

 

6. That Jennings right to be present at the poll was violated by this Mayor who used the police power to remove him in order to influence the election.

 

7.  That removing a poll worker without cause and without authority could influence the result in other elections.

 

8. That Mayor Cicilline  by intimidation, preventing voting by those lawfully there to do so, and being disorderly in a poll during a federal, state and local election where he did not belong and had no authority implies an authority he does not have.

 

9. That the Providence Police officer, except for his duties to enforce criminal law, election law violations observed by him, or to quell a disturbance observed directly by him, had no authority to interfere, threaten, arrest, detain or disenfranchise any voter at a polling place. 

 

Wherefore, Complainant requests the following actions:

 

1. That the Board act promptly and publicly to retain the integrity of the Electoral Process in Rhode Island in any fashion they find just and meet.

 

2. That the Board actively refer parts of this complaint beyond its scope of power to the appropriate agency, including but not limited to the US Attorney, RI Attorney General and RI Bar Association.

 

3. That the Board act in whatever manner, imposing whatever sanctions and remedies they find just and meet in this situation.

 

 

Signed and dated this 10^th of November, 2006.

 

 

Wilbur W. Jennings Jr.

115 Sinclair Avenue

Providence, Rhode Island 02907

Tel:  401-461-3617

Cell: 401-595-9216