Losing candidate in Hialeah election files suit over absentee ballots

[Judi Lynn]

Posted on Thu, Nov. 13, 2003

Losing candidate in Hialeah election files suit over absentee ballots
An unsuccessful Hialeah council candidate will file a lawsuit challenging the outcome of last week's election.
BY MICHAEL VASQUEZ, DAVID OVALLE AND ANDRES VIGLUCCI
[e-mail]



Losing Hialeah city council candidate Adriana Narvaez said Wednesday that she would formally challenge last week's election results, alleging that absentee ballot abuse coordinated by the ''political machine'' of Mayor Raul Martinez tipped the race to the incumbent.

Narvaez, one of a slate of three candidates challenging Martinez's allies on the council, beat incumbent Eduardo Gonzalez at the voting booth on Election Day, but a 3-1 advantage in absentee ballots gave the race to Gonzalez by 438 votes.

Narvaez contends Martinez and his allies coerced voters, in particular residents of city-run subsidized housing projects.

Narvaez, in a copy of her complaint provided to The Herald, alleges that Hialeah Housing Authority director Alex Morales, a Martinez ally, used employees to collect absentee ballots from residents. Some collected as many as 70 ballots, the complaint says. (snip/...)

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/local/7252168.htm

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It's not exactly as if THIS is the first time this has ever happened in Florida!