Compton candidate sues to contest primary election

One of the candidates who ran for city treasurer in Compton’s primary election has filed a lawsuit seeking to contest last month’s election results.

Jasper Jackson petitioned the court to halt incumbent Douglas Sanders from assuming office due to alleged voter fraud.

In the 10-page complaint filed last week, Jackson contends that “Compton City Clerk Alita Godwin and others have conspired, aided, abetted in the suppression, non-collection, destruction of relevant evidence and election materials concerning the April 16, 2013, election, under a variety of pretenses.”

Jackson listed numerous alleged incidents of “irregularities and improper conduct,” including dead residents voting, improper denial of citizens to cast their votes and names of candidates excluded from voter ballots.

Sanders received 51.2% of the votes. Jackson pulled in 25% and a third candidate, Skyy Fisher, received 23.7%.

The lawsuit comes after several candidates — and a city councilwoman whose sister was running for city clerk — alleged that there had been improprieties in the balloting process. Two ballot boxes arrived several hours after polls had closed, and some candidates said the box had been tampered with. Jackson referred to the incident in the complaint.

Godwin, the city clerk named in Jackson’s suit, told a City Council meeting last month that she was “not going to address every rumor, every comment in the street” about the election.

She could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

Jackson is requesting a hand count of the ballots and for the Los Angeles County register recorder’s office to oversee Compton’s future elections.

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