AJC: Imagine someone shy, he said, in a small town who wants to vote privately. But an activist comes into their home, and “because of my position in the community, maybe I have some sway over them, maybe I’m just a dynamic personality, I say, ‘Didn’t you get an absentee ballot? Let me take a look at that.’

“In any world would that be right?”

In fact, a few of the people who actually voted absentee did lodge complaints. Johnny Parker’s was one. Parker cast an absentee ballot marked only for the school board race, not the other contests.

He showed up on Election Day intending to vote in the other races and became angry when a poll worker told him he couldn’t. He filed a complaint, and told investigators Smart had urged him not to worry about the other races on the absentee ballot.