NEW MADRID - While the low election turnout in the county was expected, the controversy involving an election judge and a ballot was not.
New Madrid County Clerk Clement Cravens said after the ballots were counted in Tuesday's General Municipal Election, he wasn't surprised that only 1,471 of the county's approximately 13,000 eligible voters cast ballots. Due to the lack of races and issues, he had anticipated that.
What Cravens hadn't anticipated was a controversy involving one of his election judges.
According to Cravens, early Tuesday he received a complaint involving the Marston North Ward race for alderman where three candidates were seeking election
"A man said a voter was assisted by the election judge and she marked a ballot without marking who he truly wished it to be marked for," Cravens said. According to the County Clerk he listened to both sides and due to the circumstances decided protocol called for the judge to be replaced at that time.
"There is no guilt, it's just normal procedure when a complaint is received," Cravens said.
Cravens said there will be further discussions with the complainant, the election judge and any witnesses.
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