The results are in for that razor-thin race to determine the next sheriff in Caddo Parish. Republican John Nickelson requested the recount last week after receiving one less vote than Democrat Henry Whitehorn in the runoff election held Saturday, November 18. That one vote difference came from the more than 43,000-thousand people who voted in that race. and on Monday [November 27], each candidate increased their totals by three votes. That means just like before, Whitehorn remains the winner of the race by that one vote.
Local historian Gary Joiner says he cannot recall any local race quite like this one. In fact, Professor Joiner describes this as the definition of a teachable moment. “I think the voters should understand the importance of voting. Don’t sit one out because you don’t think your vote matters,” insists Joiner, who then concludes, “If there is any lesson to be learned from this, it’s that everybody’s vote matters. Period.” Professor Joiner says the best thing you can be in a democracy is a chronic voter.
Nickelson filed a petition on Monday to challenge the results of the election and subsequent runoff. In such cases, a civil judge will be appointed. We will be speaking with John Nickelson on this Tuesday [November 28] morning to learn more about his next steps, in a race he says is not over just yet. Professor Joiner says there are limited avenues to pursue in such a legal scenario. “If Nickelson wants to argue anything it would have to be on procedure,” Joiner explains, and “perhaps an argument might be that since the totals were not exactly the same as during, you know, the first count, that there is something procedurally wrong with (pause) …everything!”
Nickelson is likely to mention the paperless touchscreen voting machines, bought back in 2005. That meant the recount could only include absentee ballots, which are mailed in. But they represent just 17% of the total vote. The remaining 83% comes from in-person voting, in which the DRE [direct-recording electronic] voting machines do not produce any auditable paper trail.
Meanwhile, after Monday’s official recount there is now an official sheriff-elect in Caddo Parish – Henry Whitehorn. Whitehorn spoke briefly with us immediately after the recount, in a basement room of the Caddo Courthouse on Monday. He was reticent to say too much, while standing next to his attorney, who mostly spoke for him. And despite the fact Whitehorn won’t take office until July 1st, when asked what’s next? He replied, “to get to work.”
