VOTING IRREGULARITY ALLEGATIONS BRING FBI TO CAIRO ON TUESDAY

CAIRO, Ill. -- Voters here Tuesday chose James Wilson as the town's new mayor in an election clouded by allegations of voter irregularities.

The controversy apparently surrounds absentee ballots in the city, which were seized by the FBI shortly after polls closed in Illinois, said Alexander County Clerk Sue Harrington.

Wilson beat challenger Carolyn Mayberry by a vote of 1,317 to 658 to succeed Allen Moss as Cairo mayor.

Harrington said 30 FBI agents and several agents with the Illinois Department of Criminal Investigations were on hand while ballots were counted. Absentee ballots were tallied and then agents carried the ballots away in large envelopes.

"I had no idea they were coming, and I have no idea what they are doing with them," Harrington said shortly after midnight, when election results were announced.

"All I know is that they confiscated the absentee ballots."

She said: "I can't see a change in the election results, but they wanted them for some reason. This caught me very much by surprise."

Harrington said agents would not reveal what specific allegations had been made, who made the allegations or what specifically they were investigating.

Officials with the state Board of Election were also at the courthouse to oversee the vote tally. The county clerk asked officials with the election board to be on hand. They monitored the primary election in February also.

"I called them in because I'm a new county clerk and I wanted to make sure everything was done right," she said.

Harrington took office in December.

Results for seats on the city council were:

For the at-large councilman's post, incumbent Darrell A. Hoppe defeated Mable Hollis, 1188 to 790.

In Ward 1, incumbent Elbert Purchase was unopposed. He had 271 votes.

In Ward 2, Bobby Whitaker defeated Ernest Morgan, 208-189.

In Ward 3, it was incumbent Cordell McGoy over Clydia Koen, 140 to 126.

In Ward 4, Joseph Thurston won over Richard Harrington, 303 to 188.

In Ward 5, Carolyn Ponting defeated Norman R. Hughes, 292 to 96.