DATE: Friday, October 24, 1997              TAG: 9710240780

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 

SOURCE: BY JEFFREY S. HAMPTON, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: ELIZABETH CITY                    LENGTH:   55 lines

ELIZABETH CITY CANDIDATE DENIES CLAIM THAT SHE INFLUENCED VOTERS

City Council candidate Shirley S. Simpson acknowledged entering a polling place on Election Day to help an elderly voter but denied charges by mayoral candidate Anita Hummer Thursday that she had influenced voters.

The Pasquotank County Board of Elections and Pasquotank County Attorney Ike McRee heard testimony for more than two hours to determine whether Simpson and her son, Andre Simpson, had influenced voters in the Oct. 7 elections for mayor and City Council.

State law says no candidate may assist voters or come within 50 feet of the polling station unless casting their own vote.

Simpson lost her bid for the 1st Ward to Lloyd Griffin. Hummer charged that Simpson openly supported her opponent, Mayor Rick Gardner, who was re-elected.

Hummer's complaint stated that Simpson escorted voters ``not once but many times.''

``I only lost by 33 votes in 1A and I'm sure she escorted that many, from the reports I heard,'' Hummer said during testimony.

Testimony by precinct workers conflicted in some cases, but in the end indicated Simpson had entered a polling station no more than twotimes with voters.

Simpson said she entered the Masonic Lodge, polling place for precinct 4A, once to help an elderly woman down a ramp.

Hummer and three witnesses who were her campaign workers also complained that Simpson's son entered polling stations several times.

Andre Simpson said he entered the library, the precinct 1A polling station, four times and helped voters at the booths three times with the precinct judge's permission. He denied influencing their votes. He entered the Masonic Lodge four times; the Riverwind Health and Racquet Club, polling station for precinct 1B, more than five times; and the National Guard Armory, polling station for precinct 3B, one time.

Andre Simpson said he was not a campaign worker but a volunteer for the Roanoke Institute polling committee that encourages residents to vote and provides rides if necessary. He said he had provided that service for several elections.

Hummer also accused Myrtle Rivers of illegally influencing voters beyond the 50-foot boundary. Rivers denied the accusations. Rivers, a city councilwoman from the 4th Ward, had openly supported Gardner.

At one point, 2nd Ward candidate Linda Barrett asked Shirley Simpson why she believed the accusations had been brought against her.

``I don't know,'' replied Simpson.

``I didn't come here to ask for a new election, I did this for the next election,'' Hummer said. ``Maybe next time there will be a level playing field. I don't think there was this time.''

McRee did most of the interrogating of candidates and precinct workers. He said the board could decide to hold a new election. The three-member board would announce its decision on Tuesday, he said. About 40 people attended the hearing in the Pasquotank County Courthouse. KEYWORDS: ELECTION NORTH CAROLINA CANDIDATE

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