By Bill Zeeble, KERA News
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-889839.mp3
Dallas, TX – A week after the election, backers of defeated Dallas Justice of the Peace Luis Sepulveda suspect voter fraud. KERA's Bill Zeeble has more
A dozen or so Sepulveda supporters protested outside Dallas County Commissioner's Court saying Medrano's workers distributed absentee ballots to Sepulveda voters. Sepulveda's daughter Jessica fears those ballots were submitted for Medrano.
Sepulveda: We would go door to door and asked people did you vote and they would say no and we showed their name and they were completely surprised because they never voted. Or another instance we would go ask them did you ever even apply for an application? No but it came. Oh really? Did anybody come to pick it up? Yes, somebody came to pick it up. Who came to your house to pick it up? I'm not sure who the individual was but they did say there were with the Medrano family.
Winner Carlos Medrano denies any wrongdoing. Dallas County Elections Administrator Bruce Sherbet says he's received 8 complaints and asked officials to look into it.
Sherbet: It would be normal to get some complaints. This is a normal amount I think we would receive.
Dallas County Judge Jim Foster says one legitimate case of voter fraud is too many, but believes there are more. He also wants an investigation. But Commissioner John Wiley Price says there are really only 6 or 7 complaints, not enough to change any election.
Price: You're trying to make a big deal, it's not there. Of the 6 or 7? You know we checked it out, guess what? Two of them didn't even mail in their ballot. They decided to vote in person. So now we're down to 5 or 6. Out of 7,000? Yes, every vote counts, but I mean come on.
It's up to the District Attorney or State's Attorney General to determine if an investigation is warranted.