A second lawsuit has been filed in Jones County Circuit Court this week contesting the City of Laurel General Election.

On Wednesday, Anthony Hudson, a candidate in the mayor’s race, officially filed his contest to the city’s June 2 general election.

On June 8, Marian A. Allen, a candidate in the Ward Seven council race, officially filed her contest to the same election.

According to the city’s election results, incumbent Mayor Melvin Mack received the majority vote in the general election while his two opponents, independent candidates, Anthony Hudson and Daniel “Coach” Darby received 12.47 percent of the votes combined. Hudson received 113 votes or 7.57 percent, while Darby received 88 votes or 5.90 percent. There were five write in votes.

City Clerk Mary Ann Hess confirmed last week that Allen and Hudson requested and received several election-related documents on Wednesday (June 3rd), noting that they would be contacting the Secretary of State’s Office.

However, the City of Laurel Election Commission certified the June 2nd election results the following morning declaring Mack re-elected for another term as the city’s top elected official and Trey Chinn as the newly-elected councilperson for Ward 7.

Hudson, in his lawsuit, states that he is contesting the election “due to irregularities in ballot boxes according to Mississippi Code Ann. 23-15-593.”

In the document, Hudson claims that he was denied access to some public records.

“During the investigation of (a voter’s residency), I contacted Circuit Clerk Bart Gavin and requested to review the Jones County voter roll,” Hudson states in the suit. “Mr. Gavin denied a candidate access to public record.”

Hudson also claims that a voter, who was allowed to vote in the May 19 primary election, had their name “removed from voter’s roll and denied the right to vote in the June 2 election in violation of the Voter’s Right Act.”

Hudson also lists numerous issues in several wards of the city.

In his suit, Hudson states that the poll managers in Wards Two and Three “neglected to fill in required information by law before opening the polls.”

He also claims that the tabulations of votes reported to the Secretary of State’s Office was incorrect.

“In Ward One, election commissioner reported a total of 98 votes to the state, but poll list shows 115 sign in voters,” the suit states. In Ward Two, “the commissioner of elections reported a total of 388 votes but the poll list had 391 sign in voters. Three votes were not reported to the state.”

In Ward Three “the commissioner reported a total of 172 votes, but poll list had a total of 189 votes. Fourteen (14) votes were not recorded,” according to Hudson’s document. In Ward Four the “election commissioner reported a total of 113 votes but poll list have a total of 133. A total of 20 votes were not reported.”

In Ward Five, Hudson claims that the “election commissioner reported 153 votes when the poll list has 177 people voting. Twenty-four (24) votes not reported to state,” the document states. In Ward Six, the “election commissioner reported 110 votes when the poll list has 127 with one blank.”

According to the suit filed, in Ward Seven, the “election commissioner reported 383 but poll manager’s book has a total of 391 votes. Eight (8) votes were not accounted for in voting machines.”

Among the irregularities cited by Hudson, he notes that several lines had “similar penmanship,” numerous voters’ signatures could not be understood, and that a line on the poll list was left blank but counted.

In addition, he claims that in Ward Five, “lines 50 and 51, same penmanship plus indicates someone voted for their son.”

Hudson also challenges the residency of several voters in various wards of the city.

The city reported that in the June 2nd general election only 1,511 votes were cast in the city-wide mayor’s race. In that election, Mack received 1,286 votes, or 86.19 percent of the 1,511 votes cast to win a second term as the city’s mayor.

Mack, who four years ago became the first African American mayor in the City of Laurel, said he’s looking forward to another four years of serving the citizens of the City Beautiful.

Mack, along with the other newly-elected candidates, will begin their four-year terms in July.

Mack said tentative plans for the city’s mayoral inauguration is set for 10 a.m. July 3rd.

In his suit, Hudson is requesting “a new election” and that the “court finds the circuit court clerk in violation of the Freedom of Information Act.”