Alfreda Washington, Uniontown’s city clerk and election manager, has filed her first response in the District 2 council race contest brought by candidate Sherman Norfleet.
In a one-page answer submitted Tuesday, Oct. 14, Washington “denies all allegations contained in Plaintiff’s Complaint and demands strict proof thereof.” The filing lists Demopolis attorney John M. Gibbs of Gibbs & Sellers, P.C., as counsel for Washington.
Norfleet is challenging the Sept. 23 runoff, which the city’s canvass certified as a one-vote win for Dudley Long, 110–109.
In earlier filings, Norfleet alleged misconduct in how ballots were printed and distributed, the rejection of legal votes, and the counting of illegal votes, and he asked the court to block issuance of a certificate of election while the case proceeds.
Washington’s broad denial is a common first step in civil litigation and positions the city’s election manager to contest Norfleet’s claims as the case moves into discovery. The court has also issued summonses and accepted Norfleet’s request for production seeking absentee ballot materials from the runoff.
Long, the declared winner, is named as a co-defendant in the suit. A status hearing is set for Nov. 12 in Perry County Circuit Court.
