Jackson Free Press

David Archie, the third-place finisher in last week's Democratic primary for Hinds County's District 2 seat, wants a new election and is suing his own party to get it.

Archie, 49, alleges that "tampering" and voter confusion resulted in the district-wide apathy that suppressed votes in the District 2 primary Sept. 24. He told the Jackson Free Press this morning that his campaign workers observed "improper" ballot handling.

Archie aimed his criticism on the voting system, which required voters to fill in an oval next to the name of their candidate of choice. He complained that officials rejected ballots marked with an "X" or a checkmark. The ballot form indicates that only ballots with filled-in bubbles would be counted.

"There's a problem with those outdated paper ballots in 2013," Archie said.

After an intense nine-person race for District 2, the county's largest geographic district, Darrel McQuirter secured a first-place victory last Tuesday and now squares off against Willie Earl Robinson in the Democratic runoff Oct. 8.

Both men are department heads for Hinds County: McQuirter oversees planning and zoning, Robinson the county's central repair division.

Archie said his lawsuit—which he filed in Hinds County Circuit Court and which names the Hinds County Democratic Executive Committee and each of the current five members of the county's board of supervisors as plaintiffs—is about due process.

"It wasn't about the results. It was about the constitutionality of the election in terms of people being able to cast (their) vote," Archie said.

Archie came pretty close to winning the seat in 2011. That year, he finished second in the Democratic primary for the District 2 seat, held by board veteran Doug Anderson at the time. Archie faced Anderson in a runoff, collecting 46 percent of the vote in that election.

Jacqueline R. Amos-Norris, chairwoman of the Hinds County Democratic Executive Committee, had little to say about Archie's lawsuit this morning. She said the party certified the results and was looking ahead to Thursday, Oct. 3, when the party hosts a forum for the runoff candidates.

"I have no response. David Archie lost. We're moving on," she said.

In District 4, Democrats James "Lap" Baker and Mike Maldonado will also compete in a runoff Oct. 8.