Centreville’s Mayoral Election Outcome Goes to Court Monday
The Bibb County City of Centreville has a week and a half to settle the ongoing dispute over who won the mayor's election on August 26th. That is because November 3rd is the day constitutionally set for municipal election winners in Alabama to be inaugurated. But it will be up to a ruling by a Bibb County Circuit Court before we know who will raise their hand and take the oath of office in the city of 2,644, if then.
Under Alabama law election challenges are non-jury, to be heard by a Circuit Judge in normal rotation and election contests are to receive priority over most other docketed cases. In this case the 4th Circuit Judge in rotation is Marvin Wiggins and the hearing will be in his courtroom this coming Monday.
The initial election resulted in a 326-to-326 tie when the votes were counted on election night. Later polling certification of the results were made by the Centreville City Council. Ten provisional ballots were reviewed. Four were accepted. Three went to Cooner and one to Oakley, giving Cooner a 329–327 victory.
The outcome did not sit well with incumbent Mike Oakley who challenged the results in court. His lawsuit argues that some illegal votes were counted and that some valid votes in his favor were missed.
Oakley is petitioning Judge Wiggins to throw out the certified results and name him the winner instead. Cooner is asking the court to throw out Oakley's suit and declare him mayor elect.
The judge allowed both parties to file motions in advance of the hearing that have allowed the candidates or their legal representative to examine specified election materials from the Municipal Election, including the ballots that were cast and other election related documents, such as absentee ballots, provisional ballots, poll worker lists, and voting lists.
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