New election ordered for local NAACP

Debra D. Bass

Wednesday, Feb. 12, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

Complaints that the November election by the local NAACP branch favored the incumbent have prompted the national office to order a new election under its supervision.

Barbara Robinson, a newspaper columnist and retired lawyer, was the Rev. James Rogers' only challenger for president. He was re-elected to his second two-year term with 103 votes. Robinson received 47 votes. Only 150 of the chapter's more than 1,000 members voted.

With only 56 votes separating the two, Robinson contested the fact that 80 new members, whom she signed up as part of a membership drive campaign, were denied voting privileges. Dozens of other longtime members were turned away because of a glitch in the process.

Robinson questioned the election procedures and led efforts to file a 32-item complaint with the national office. She was supported by several members elected to the executive board.

The national office responded Monday to the complaint filed within a week of the Nov. 10 election. It ordered results be set aside because of errors committed.

A date has not been set for new elections.

Rogers canceled a Dec. 1 installation of officers once he received notification that a complaint had been filed and was being investigated.

Until the new election is set, "We are operating as if the past election did not happen. All of the old officers are still in place and carrying out their duties," said Chester Richardson, chairman of the election supervisory committee.

Richardson, serving his third term as committee chairman, described himself as "he who messed up." However, he said he has yet to preside over an election that has not generated grumblings of discontent.

Robinson's complaint was reviewed by the national organization's Special Committee on Branch Election Disputes, which was swamped with appeals from across the country.

The backlog of complaints prevented the national committee from responding within 30 days to Robinson's appeal, as stated in its regulations. Richardson said the national office receives 200 election challenges a year. Now 90 days later, the committee has determined "that several errors were made during the conduct of the (local) election."

It determined the theft months earlier of a computer that contained the membership roster was "perhaps the most difficult (problem) to overcome." The local branch was forced to reconstruct its roster of more than 1,000 paid members by using receipt books, membership tabs and banquet forms.

Without adequate membership files, "it is likely that some members were denied the opportunity to vote, while others voted but had to be challenged, and many of these votes were not counted."

Once the roster was reconstructed, it was deemed the official list and anyone not it was not allowed to vote. If they could show proof of membership with a card or canceled check, people were given a challenge ballot, which were only to be opened if they could change the final results. But Rogers won by more than 50 votes and only 30 challenge ballots were cast. Many who made it to the polls declined to cast a challenge ballot or couldn't produce proof of membership.

Among the bizarre cases, J. David Hoggard, who has a lifetime NAACP membership and is on the local branch's executive committee, was turned away. Hoggard was on the ballot for re-election to the board. He was issued a challenge ballot.

The national office also found fault with the fact the local election supervisory committee waited until just three days prior to the election to allow Robinson to inspect the voting roster. It also cited the branch for using its Freedom Fund souvenir program booklet as a campaign instrument.

"(Though) the incumbent president may not have known that this was planned, it nevertheless gave his ticket an unfair advantage over the opponents," said a letter from William Penn, director of branch and field services.

No new contenders can step forward once the new election is scheduled, but anyone signed up under the old ticket can withdraw.

"I am looking forward to the new election, because I want to put this behind us," Rogers said.