Election Central

Mayor-elect Gene Robinson clearly dominated the polls on Tuesday in Anniston's largely black western neighborhoods, and he did so in part by paying two individuals to help him win over black voters.

Robinson said he paid west Anniston resident Curtis Ray $1,700 and newly elected Anniston Board of Education member William Hutchings $950 to pass out marked sample ballots at polling places and to "assist people to the door." He said the money came out of his election fund.

"I bought into the black corruption in Anniston," Robinson told a reporter Wednesday. "And it worked."

Ray and Hutchings confirmed that they were paid by Robinson. Ray said he fed people meals, made sample ballots and gave people rides to the polls. Hutchings said he paid others small amounts, like $75 or $100, to perform the same duties.

Both said they did not require people to vote a certain way before giving them rides, but said they did ask them to vote for Robinson.

Rob Johnston, elections attorney for the Alabama Secretary of State, said the practice is legal unless votes are bought. He said that once people are at the polls, they must be left alone.

Robinson said he was hesitant to pay the men and that he was approached in 2004 by people who said they could deliver the black vote, for a price.

"I said no in 2004, but I wanted to win so bad this year," he said.

Hutchings said Robinson's comment about black corruption in Anniston would not be taken well in the community.

"That's the wrong word to use," he said. "Gene's cutting his throat."

Local activist David Baker agreed.

"I think that's a hell of a statement to make," he said. "He needs to maybe come back to this community and apologize for saying that."

Baker agreed that the practice of telling blacks who to vote for has been going on for years, but said it needs to stop.

The Rev. Jeffrey Williams said he hopes Robinson was not serious with his comment.

"Gene can talk off the cuff sometimes," he said. "I think there's no black corruption in our community. The community was just ready for a change in our city government."

Robinson later expressed regret that his comments were going to be made public and said he believed a portion of a conversation with a reporter was off the record, even though the reporter was clearly taking notes. Robinson did not indicate either before or just after the comments that he wanted them to remain private. He only asked that they be kept confidential hours later.

Although elected officials sometimes talk to reporters off the record, The Star's policy is that reporter and source must agree beforehand to keep comments private.

Hutchings said the practice of having "poll workers" at voting precincts was common in the black community. He vehemently denied that the practice was corrupt and said it was necessary.

"The black folks don't follow the elections," he said. "They get off work and say, 'which way we need to vote today?' And we tell them."

City Councilman Herbert Palmore said he took exception to Hutchings' comment.

"Black people don't need anybody to tell them how to vote," he said. "Just bring the issues to us, let us see what's going on and we'll make the right decision who to vote for."

Lawson Veasey, head of the political science department at Jacksonville State University, said he would not be surprised if sample ballots and other campaign tactics are being used by "a variety of individuals, not just African Americans."