UAT Sorority Offered Drinks for Votes in Local Election

[The Six]

http://blog.al.com/tuscaloosa/2013/08/sorority_offered_free_drinks_t.html#incart_m-rpt-2

A University of Alabama Greek organization offered incentives to members in exchange for voting in the Tuscaloosa City Board of Education election, according to an email obtained by AL.com Monday.

The email, sent to sorority members residing in District 4 from a ranking member of the chapter's executive board, encourages members to vote for Cason Kirby and Lee Garrison in exchange for incentives including free drinks at two local bars and limousine transportation to the polls.

Kirby challenged incumbent Kelly Horwitz for the District 4 seat and Garrison ran for board chair against Denise Hills. Both were elected by slim margins in Tuesday's election, though neither Horwitz nor Hills conceded the race by the end of the day.

(All punctuation and emphasis is found in the original email.)

"In a list that was e-mailed to me this weekend, y'all are the only [members] registered in the specific district that are allowed to vote," the email states. "Cason Kirby, a past SGA president of the University of Alabama is running for the City Board of Education, and Lee Garrison a UA Alum is also running."

"They would really appreciate/need your vote to win this election. It's going to be really tight, and it is SO IMPORTANT that they get the Greek Vote. I told both of them that I would do my best to make sure that I got every [member] that was registered to the polls. There is a big incentive for you going as well!!"

The email goes on to list five "incentives," including that both the sorority and individuals who vote would receive points to go toward UA's Panhellenic and the sorority's in-house point systems, which reward participation within the system.

In addition, the author states "they rented out Innisfree and Moe's" -- two downtown Tuscaloosa bars -- and wristbands good for one free drink at each venue and free cover would be made available to members who showed an "I Voted" sticker to the sorority representative.

On Tuesday night, many Innisfree patrons wore matching wristbands, though no wristbands were offered at the front gate. Cason Kirby was seen celebrating his election with friends and family.

A variety of vehicles, including stretch limousines and a large passenger bus, were seen along sorority row Tuesday, shuttling passengers to and from the District 4 polling station several blocks away.

Students have been more vocally involved in this year's school board campaign than in years past, with the College Democrats canvassing on behalf of Kelly Horwitz and several sororities and fraternities displaying Cason Kirby placards in their front lawns.

On Friday, TV station WVUA reported that 10 unrelated people are registered to vote in a single family home in District 4.

WVUA reports that a resident in the home said his "fraternity pledge brothers" are using the house as a residence to vote, but don't actually live inside the home.