Autauga County commissioner cries foul, says voter fraud unseated him

Independent candidate Henry Lanier finished a distant third last Tuesday in the race to represent District 5 on the Autauga County Commission — but he gained enough votes to potentially sway the election.

Democrat Larry Stoudemire, the incumbent, intends to challenge the election results, claiming voter fraud not during the election itself, but in the petition that allowed Lanier to be certified as an independent candidate.

“The investigation indicates that Lanier, with the help of various community ministers and others, allegedly provided false documents to Probate Judge Kim Kervin to secure his candidacy certification,” Stoudemire alleged in a press release Monday night.

Stoudemire contends that numerous individuals who are listed on that petition are either dead, developmentally disabled and unable to give consent, not registered voters in the district, or were added without the knowledge or consent of the person listed.

“Ensuring fair and transparent elections is a fundamental responsibility. The fraudulent actions discovered in this matter violate our community’s trust and harm the democratic process. We will pursue every avenue to uphold electoral integrity and protect the rights of our citizens,” Stoudemire said. “These actions represent a grave breach of public trust and the ethical principles that underpin our electoral system. We owe it to the citizens of Autauga County Commission District 5 to ensure that their voices are heard and that justice is served. We will pursue every available avenue to rectify this situation and hold those responsible accountable.”

Stoudemire is seeking an injunction to halt the certification of the election results and a re-vote for the seat, while calling for criminal charges for those involved in the scheme to include “voter fraud, forgery, voter manipulation, and intimidation, as well as any other ethical and public trust violations uncovered during a comprehensive investigation conducted by county, state, and federal authorities.”

Stoudemire said a meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday with District Attorney C.J. Robinson to discuss further action.

Lanier has challenged Stoudemire previously in the Democratic primary and lost. Stoudemire won reelection to the seat last year, narrowly defeating Republican challenger Matt Holtzcher.

It appeared Tuesday as though Stoudemire had lost the race this time around to Republican challenger Terry Tanner. Tanner received 2,264 votes while Stoudemire brought in 2,012—a margin of just 252 votes. Lanier received 391 votes as a rare independent candidate on the ballot. None of the other four commissioners faced any opposition at all.