TULSA, Okla. — A Tulsa County judge rules that while irregularities were made during last Election Day, there is not enough evidence to say the election results for Tulsa City Council District 5 could be overturned.
An investigation was launched after reportswere made stating poll workers werenot handing out ballots to some Tulsa voters at Precinct 77 on Nov. 8. Three poll workers were replaced, at the time.
Tulsa City Council District 5 incumbent Mykey Arthrell filed a petition after the voter registry showed 38 people did not receive an extra ballot at Precinct 77, which also contains sub-Precinct 377, for the city council race.
Tulsa County Election Board Secretary Gwen Freeman originally testified to a full courtroom that the latest numbers show Grant Miller won by 27 votes. After a recount, it showed Miller won by 24 votes.
After hearing from both sides for days, a Tulsa County judge ruled that over 10,000 Tulsa voters went to the polls and made their voice heard by electing Miller as their next City Councilor "by a slim margin."
The Tulsa County judge ruled Arthrell failed to prove that it is "impossible by mathematical certainty" to declare a winner from the results.
The ruling also states that the "facts show an irregularity" happened that day, but not enough to void the election as a whole.
A portion of the ruling reads:
Courts, from time-to-time, have a responsibility to void election results when faced with sufficient proof of fraud or corruption or other serious irregularities. They also have a duty to respect and honor the will of the electorate when appropriate. Such decisions may be challenging to say the least. In this case, the facts show an irregularity took place due to the actions/inactions of some election workers. However, the law proclaims that not every irregularity should result in nullifying an election.
Miller is set to be sworn in as the next Tulsa City Councilor for District 5 on Dec. 5.
To read the judge's full decision:
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