Stamp of approval for NAACP elections delayed again

Jace Radke

Tuesday, Feb. 23, 1999 | 11:15 a.m.

The NAACP's committee for branches had been expected to give final approval Friday on the Las Vegas chapter's recent election, but now a decision on whether the election will stand may be two weeks away.

After meeting with the three people who protested the election, the committee will take a longer look at the Jan. 9 election of former Assemblyman Gene Collins to the presidency of the Las Vegas branch.

"The committee will be looking at the documentation, and it could take a couple of weeks," NAACP National Field Secretary Mark Clack said. "They will probably come to the same conclusion as the Tri-State Conference."

The Tri-State Conference, the governing body for branches of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in Utah, Idaho and Nevada, dismissed the election complaints filed by the Rev. Jesse Scott, election committee chairman David Bailey and Louis Overstreet.

Overstreet, along with representatives for Scott and Bailey, traveled to Washington last week and explained their concerns to the committee.

"Many members never received timely written notification mandated by the NAACP's constitution of the date, time and location of the election poll," Overstreet said. "Others never received their membership cards."

Only 289 out of approximately 1,200 eligible voters turned out for the election. Collins defeated Scott 137 votes to 115. Overstreet's name was removed from the ballot because of a missed deadline to become a member of the local NAACP branch.

Collins said he is hopeful the committee will approve the election results so that he and his officers can be sworn in.

"We have to let the process work itself out," Collins said. "If possible, we'd like to install new officers on Feb. 28."

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