Loser Sues to Overturn Runoff Vote

A Long Beach City Council candidate who lost a runoff election by a razor-thin margin filed suit Monday to overturn the results, alleging that eight people voted twice and dozens of others mistakenly cast their ballots in the wrong council race.

Dee Andrews, a candidate in the 6th District, filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court against Laura Richardson-Batts, who won the June 6 special election by six votes after a recount.

“All I want is a fair election,” said Andrews, 59, a youth counselor and former schoolteacher. “People say I’m crying because I lost. But whether I’m going to win or lose, I want to do it fairly.”

Richardson-Batts couldn’t be reached for comment Monday. But Long Beach City Atty. Bob Shannon acknowledged that there were problems with the runoff for the seat representing central Long Beach. Shannon said he has been cooperating with Andrews and that representatives of his office will be meeting soon with Andrews’ attorneys.

Richardson-Batts is scheduled to be sworn in July 18. A count of last-minute ballots, shrank her original 19-vote victory margin to just seven votes. The recount cut it to six: 1,198 to 1,192.

The suit seeks a new election, alleging the results should be nullified because eight people voted twice in apparent violation of state law.

Shannon, who announced the irregularities last month, said he has referred the matter to the district attorney’s office for investigation. If someone deliberately votes twice in the same election, he or she can face misdemeanor or felony charges, depending on the circumstances.

In the lawsuit, Andrews also contends that 69 voters who lived in the 6th District were sent sample ballots and voting information mistakenly instructing them to vote in the 4th District contest. City officials concede that error .