In ‘Hollywood of Mississippi,’ politics is like a movie script
Former officials among seven held in alleged voter fraud case
CANTON, Miss. — In a town that calls itself the Hollywood of Mississippi, people say for years they’ve been hearing tales of dirty politics worthy of a movie script, like campaigns buying votes with cash or beer.
But it wasn’t until the past few days when the former police chief, a former fire chief and some others were arrested on voter fraud charges that locals realized just how deep the problems might go.
“It’s always been kind of fishy business dealing with elections in Canton, Miss.,” said 21-year-old resident Laselven Harris, who is African-American and worked in the 2017 city campaign for a white Republican who lost the race for mayor.
Six people were arrested Thursday and one was arrested Friday after a grand jury indicted them on a variety of election fraud charges. They face accusations of bribing voters, improperly helping people fill out absentee ballots, voting despite being convicted of disqualifying felonies, and voting even though they lived outside the city or voting district.
Among those arrested was Vicki McNeil, a former Canton police chief who now serves on the Board of Aldermen. She faces four counts of voter fraud. She is alleged to have illegally helped people cast absentee ballots when she was running for re-election. McNeil declined comment to reporters and was released on $4,000 bail.
A former Canton fire chief, Cary Johnson, was arrested Friday. He is accused of trying to influence a voter by promising beer and of offering money to two others to sway their votes.
The heaviest charges are against 38-year-old Courtney Rainey, who is appointed to the city school board and is Canton’s director of human and cultural needs. Rainey was indicted on 10 counts of voter fraud, two counts of conspiring to commit voter fraud, two counts of voting by an unqualified person, and one count of intimidating a witness.
The indictments allege Rainey paid four people for their votes in cash and one with a Walmart gift card. A lawyer for Rainey didn’t immediately respond to a phone call and email seeking comment. Rainey is free on $15,000 bail.
Harris said he had heard talk of absentee ballot fraud in city elections.
“You shouldn’t cheat,” Harris said firmly.
Elaine Blair, 54, has lost two races for Canton for alderman. The first was to a man in 2013. After he died during his term, Blair ran in a 2015 special election and lost to McNeil.
“It’s unfortunate that this happened to her,” Blair said of McNeil’s indictment. “But, I see some of the things she was doing … were kind of like over the top.”