Questions about the legitimacy of a recent school board election in Tuscaloosa, Ala. have surfaced after news broke that members of a sorority at the University of Alabama were offered several incentives, including booze, to vote for particular candidates in the race.
According to AL.com, an email was sent to members of the school’s Chi Omega sorority residing in certain districts within the city saying that if the member voted to re-elect Roll Tide alumni Carson Kirby and Lee Garrison in this past Tuesday’s election, they would get free drinks at two local bars and a ride to the polls in a Hummer limousine.
Both Kirby and Garrison won re-election to their school board seats Tuesday.
“In a list that was e-mailed to me this weekend, y’all are the only [members] registered in the specific district that are allowed to vote,” the e-mail, which was supposedly sent by a ranking member of the sorority’s executive board, says. “Cason Kirby, a past SGA president of the University of Alabama is running for the City Board of Education, and Lee Garrison a UA Alum is also running.
“They would really appreciate/need your vote to win this election. It’s going to be really tight, and it is SO IMPORTANT that they get the Greek Vote. I told both of them that I would do my best to make sure that I got every Chi O that was registered to the polls. There is a big incentive for you going as well!!”
AL.com reported that the various incentives offered to the students included points toward UA’s Panhellenic and in-house point system and wristbands for a free drink at local bars Innisfree and Moe’s. Chi Omega’s who showed an “I Voted” sticker to a sorority representative at the two downtown Tuscaloosa bars would also get free cover for the evening.
Kirby has denied any involvement in the bribery, however the controversy – coupled with the close margin of victory between him and challenger Kelly Horwitz – has kept Horowitz from conceding just yet.
“I don’t know any of the facts surrounding anything,” he told local Alabama station WVTM. “But I will say again what I said earlier in the week that my campaign has been working hard. We were committed to winning.”
“The University of Alabama believes that participation in the democratic process provides an opportunity for our students to engage in their civic responsibility,” the university said in a statement. “We certainly expect our students to protect the integrity of the election process, the privacy of each individual’s vote and the ability of all individuals to vote their conscience. We will continue to emphasize to our students that voting is a serious responsibility that must not be taken lightly. Students who are found to have violated the Student Code of Conduct will be referred to the Office of Student Conduct.”
“Students may be disciplined under the Student Code of Conduct if they are cited with violations of federal, state or local laws,” Cathy Andreen, a university spokesperson told Red Alert Politics.
She also said that the university promotes civic engagement and responsibility through a variety of programs throughout the school year.
When asked about the situation, Alabama Secretary of State Jim Bennett told AL.com that he couldn’t comment on the particulars but that it is illegal for candidates to provide voters with gifts that are conditional on how they vote at the polls. His chief of staff, Emily Thompson, confirmed that the office had received a complaint about the situation and told AL.com that the complaint was forwarded to the attorney general’s office.
“If you say, ‘I’m going to give you a stick of gum if you vote for me,’ that would be wrong,” Bennett told AL.com.
This piece has been updated.
