The City of Lakewood is planning to review the names of 905 people who voted in an election to surrender the satellite city’s charter earlier this week after asking the Davidson County Election Commission on Thursday for the list.
“There was so much voter fraud in the last election,” Lakewood City Manager Bobby Franklin said. “It’s a trust but verify thing for us. I think we have a duty to protect the other citizens who wanted to keep the city to at least look.”
On Tuesday, Lake citizens voted 458-447 to relinquish its charter and dissolve fully into Metro government.
It was the second referendum election on the same issue in a seven-month span. In August, the tally was 400-399 in favor of abandoning the charter, but results were thrown out because of voting irregularities, including the discovery that some voters weren’t registered in Lakewood.
“It would be too soon to tell,” Franklin said when asked whether the City of Lakewood Commission may pursue litigation. “They certainly know how –– don’t they? It’s all speculative. We’ve got to assume the election is fine.”
Albert Tieche, Davidson County’s elections administrator, confirmed the election commission received the request from Lakewood.
“We’re certainly willing to give that [information] as soon as we finish doing what we have to do here, as far as positing it all and getting it ready for them.” Tieche said.
“They want to go over that list and see if there’s people they believe are not residents of Lakewood who voted,” he said.
Tieche said he would be able to hand Lakewood the list as soon as Friday or early next week.
The election commission is set to certify Lakewood results on Monday, March 28.