“Bland’s camp wants the election monitored to prevent any voter intimidation, while Barry’s camp wants it monitored to prevent any voter fraud, campaign spokespeople said.”

Barry’s fraud concerns are heightened by “the Bland campaign’s involvement with Ike Brown, a name associated in recent years with a Noxubee County voter fraud scandal.” For engaging in, among other fraudulent voting activities, massive absentee ballot manipulation, Brown was found guilty of violating the Voting Rights Act and barred from participating in Noxubee County Democratic Party elections (though he remains a member of the state Democratic executive committee).

Bland initially denied, then later acknowledged, that Brown was working for his campaign. “The connection came to light when Brown ordered lists of absentee voters in the 2009 and 2012 elections from the Meridian city clerk’s office and Bland picked up the files,” setting off red flags given Brown’s history of absentee ballot fraud.

Barry’s campaign said it encouraged the Justice Department to be involved in the election as “quickly as possible” considering “Percy Bland’s use of a convicted felon.”  A decision on monitoring is expected on Monday.