Alexandria, LA (10/25/2023) – The Rapides Parish Police Jury District B Race between Joe Bishop, Incumbent, and Randy Wiggins, Challenger, is over.
In a press release issued today, Wiggins said he had conceded the race, which remains exceedingly close but not likely to change in Wiggins’s favor.
Letter issued by Randy Wiggins:
Dear Rapides Parish and beloved Residents of Police Jury District B: After much consideration, research, and prayer, I decided not to pursue an election contest lawsuit related to the Rapides Parish Police Jury, District B Election held October 14, 2023. As you know, I lost the election by three votes. I requested a recount of the early voter and mail-in ballots. After the recount, the Clerk of Court and Registrar of Voters both certified the results, finding I still came up three votes short. So I congratulate my opponent, Mr. Joe Bishop, on his re-election to the office of Rapides Parish Police Jury, District B. For helping with the recount, I would also like to thank Mrs. Robin Hooter, Clerk of Court, Mrs. Sandy Bonnette, Registrar of Voters, and the Rapides Parish Election Board of Supervisors. Before the recount, I learned certain requirements must be met by the voters who mail in their ballots. An "Affidavit Flap” (or Flap) on the ballot must be completed, requiring the voter and witness to write all the following information: the date of the election, the signature and printed name of the voter, the voter's mother's maiden name, ward and precinct number, and the printing and signature of a witness. If the voter receives assistance, they additionally must sign consent; the person assisting signs to testify their aid. This required information on the Flap are of utmost importance; they are the safeguards that wholly prove the validity of each vote. During the recount, I was alarmed to find over 80 ballots with flaps containing incorrect or insufficient information. In fact, 85 of the ballots were missing the date of the election; three ballots had the wrong date; three others did not have witness’s signature. While I was not allowed to check the mother’s maiden name, I later learned several counted ballots lacked this information. By law, none of these incomplete ballots should have been counted in my race; yet they were. To be fair, since COVID, more emphasis has been placed on the intent of the voter instead of on the letter of the law. Registrars look for ways to simplify the process; the language of the law coupled with the design of the mail-in ballot creates difficulty in completion by the voter and is left open to interpretation by the Board of Election Supervisors. During the recount, we looked for intent to defraud and did not find any obvious examples of such, although the potential for it certainly existed. Therefore, we had every right to challenge the election results in court. However, rather than attack what I consider to be increased opportunity for voter fraud through the courts, I will seek change through the Secretary of State’s Office and the Louisiana Legislature. Hopefully with the strengthening of requirements for mail-in voting, such opportunity for voter fraud in future elections will be eliminated. I personally thank you again for your support of my candidacy for Rapides Parish Police Jury, District B. I look forward to assuring fairness and equality in future elections, and I will look for other ways to serve you in our community. May God bless you and your families. Sincerely, Randy Wiggins
Wiggins said, “Rather than attack what I consider to be increased opportunity for voter fraud through the courts, I will seek change through the Secretary of State’s Office and the Louisiana Legislature.”
According to the Louisiana Secretary of State Office, Bishop had 1,648 votes, and Wiggins had 1,645 votes for the Rapides Parish Police Jury District B Race.
