Jackson Jambalaya

It seems a bit of controversy has finally entered the House #59 race. A Brent Powell supporter, Rodney Keith (who we will call "Powelltool from now on, my apologies to Tool Academy), took it upon himself to challenge the residency of Republican candidate Bradley Lum.

Powelltool said Mr. Lum voted in the 2011 Republican primary in Hinds County and worked as a poll worker as well. Needless to say, Powelltool told the Clarion-Ledger he is retaining an attorney and filing a complaint against young Lum as he seeks to disqualify him from representing the district.*

The documents posted below state Mr. Lum applied for an absentee ballot in Hinds County on August 18, 2011. It states "I, Bradley Lum, duly qualified and registered in the Raymond 2 Precinct of the County of Hinds....". He voted in the August 23rd election with his absentee ballot. He stated he lived at 1611 Williamswood Drive in Raymond as his home address. Its the same address he used in 2003 when he registered to vote in Hinds County and is where his father also lives. The county paid him to be a poll worker at Precinct 68 on for the August 2, 2011 Republican Primary.

Mr. Lum said he was transferring his voter registration to Rankin County when he answered a request at law school for students to work the polls in the 2011 Republican primary for Hinds County.**

Mr. Lum told this correspondent: "We lived in Rankin County for over two years." He said he moved to Rankin County on January 1, 2011 when he got married. His wife bought the house in August 2010. He said he did not move his registration at that time. Mr. Lum said he answered a posting at Mississippi College School of Law requesting poll workers for the Republican primary in 2011. He said he contacted Hinds County GOP Chairman Pete Perry.

Mr. Lum said "I told him I was about to switch my vote to Rankin County since I had moved there but he said I could not work the polls if I did that. He said because I was a student, I could stay registered in Hinds County. I knew he needed poll workers because it was at the deadline and I was wanting to help the Republicans in heavily Democratic areas." He said he submitted his qualifying documents for the election to replace Kevin McGee to the Secretary of State but did not discuss his qualifications with the Rankin County Republican Party or Rankin County Election Commission.

Mr. Perry told JJ "We recruited poll workers from local colleges. We told those who took the training class for poll workers up-front they had to be registered voters of Hinds County. We have a question many times with students as to whether they could register in Hinds County. I tell them they can register either as a student in Hinds County or back in their home county. Many of them became registered voters in Hinds so they can work the polls. Mississippi law allows them to move their registration back and forth if they are a student.

The difference is Mr. Lum was already registered in Hinds County. He told me he was living in Rankin County and asked if he could be an eligible poll worker. I told him he was registered in Hinds and in school so he could in fact work the polls. I didn't know he was going to be a candidate in a year and a half. My answer applied to his working as a poll worker at the time."

Clarion-Ledger article.

*Rankin County voter registration for all four candidates:
Brent Powell: July 14, 1987
Bradley Lum: October 5, 2011
Scot Allen: February 18, 2010
Bennie Hubbard, Jr.: March 11, 2011

**Emails (Alternated highlighting in bold so as to make easier to read):

Mr. Lum said he did not respond to this last email and registered in Rankin County.

From: Pete Perry
Date: Wed, Aug 17, 2011 at 10:46 AM
Subject: RE: Election Poll Worker Information
To: Bradley Lum

Bradley,

Are you able to work the election on the 23rd for the runoff? Basically the same thing as a couple of weeks ago, except that there will be only one race (Treasurer) so the turnout will be extremely light.

Can let you go back to the same precinct, or possibly move you to another precinct in NE Jackson if that would be more convenient for you.

Let me know if you are available to work, or if you have questions or problems.

Thanks,
Pete Perry

From: Pete Perry
Date: Fri, Jul 15, 2011 at 3:19 PM
Subject: Poll Manager
To: xxxx
Bradley,

We need to confirm which precinct you will be managing in the election on August 2nd. Unless you have another preference, I will put you at Wilkins Elementary School, Precinct 68. As manager, you will pick up the materials on Monday – and tell them you are at precinct 68.

This is a fairly large precinct total voters – but never votes heavy. You will probably have slightly more than 100 Republican votes.

It is located South of Raymond Road, approximately ½ mile west of Ellis Avenue. (Ellis Exit off 220, west on Raymond Road, South on West Highland Drive.)

I can put a couple of workers there with you that have been trained, unless you have a couple of workers to assist.

Please confirm and feel free to ask questions if need be.

Pete Perry


From: Bradley Lum
Date: Sat, Jun 11, 2011 at 8:42 AM
Subject: Re: Election Poll Worker Information
To: ""
Pete,

I will be there this Tuesday, June 14 at 2:00 for the training.

Thanks,
Bradley Lum


From: Deborah Foley
Date: Thu, Jun 9, 2011 at 10:48 AM
Subject: Interested in making a little extra cash?
To: law2013@mc.edu, law2012@mc.edu

With the upcoming election on August 2nd, they are looking for guys to help set up voting booths in precincts and to work on election day.
Pay is $100 per day.
Training is anytime now through the 14th.
If interested, contact Pete Perry, head of the Hinds County Executive Committee, at xxxxxx.

--

Debbie Foley
Director of Career Services
Mississippi College School of Law
151 East Griffith Street;
Jackson, MS 39201




Editorial note: What should be done here? I'm a Hinds County voter. No idea.