While election officials investigate the voting machine fiasco, election hopeful attorney Yolanda King prepares to make a move toward becoming the next judge for the juvenile court section C.
King, a Dillard University 1979 alumna, is currently awaiting a run-off against attorney David Bell.
Due to an investigation of the voting machines, some of which were not delivered to their respective locations until 3 p.m. on voting day, the run-off was postponed. Although the incident was a setback, King said it did not affect the election, as people would like to believe.
"It was an unfortunate situation and inconvenience, but I think the voters who were going to vote voted," King said.
King was 276 votes ahead of candidate Sandra Jenkins, who is preparing to sue because she feels that the margin of victory for King is too small.
The candidates are waiting for the results of the appeal from the election. Jenkins believes that there were potential voters who did not have the opportunity to vote because the voting machines were not where they were supposed to be, which led voters to feel disenfranchised, particularly African-American voters. However, King is in disagreement.
"This election did not parlay into a denial of the right to vote. It did not rise to the level of a conspiracy against African-Americans," King said. "If this was the 60s, then yes I would think there would be cause for concern, but this is the year 2004, and I do not feel that anyone was disenfranchised."
The case is at the fourth level of appeals and has the potential to be tried at the Louisiana Supreme Court, which will then decide if there will be another primary on Nov. 2 or if the general run-off will take place.
King said that if there is another primary she will file a lawsuit for wasting the voter’s time.
King thanks her Dillard family, whom she said keeps the bond that Dillard has across the nation.
"We all from Dillard stick together no matter where we go," King said. "We are proud of Dillard University and of being Dillardites because without our education we wouldn’t be where we are."
