The subject of controversy the last few weeks, one of Selma’s most infamous residents, showed up in City Council Chambers Monday for City Election Manager Lois Williams’ workshop on absentee voting.

The guest, a heavy, gray metal box complete with a pair of padlocks, sat silently near the edge of the dais while several city election candidates and Selma citizens quizzed Williams about absentee voting procedures.

In order to help alleviate some of the concerns of candidates and citizens about the municipal election absentee process, Council President George Evans asked Williams to conduct the meeting. Williams took those in attendance through the processes of voting absentee.

“The purpose of this meeting was for her to give all the persons the process personally,” Evans said. “I want to make sure we put all types of things in place to assure the citizens and candidates that things are above board and proper and right.”

Williams also took some questions from candidates and their supporters.

Some of the problems brought to Williams attention included possible confusion over ballot numbers on the outside of the second of three envelopes an absentee ballot must be sealed in, a question of homebound citizens who believe they received a ballot for the wrong ward and discrepancies between the absentee list in City Hall and the one at the Board of Registrars.

Apparently in the past, envelopes came with the ballot number already stamped on the envelope. Williams said she had not been required to stamp the ballot, but had no problem doing that.

When asked if an envelope that had not been filled out with the ballot numbers would negate a vote, Williams answered no.

She explained that the citizens who felt they had got a ballot from the wrong ward should contact her in the same manner they had in the first place, through the mail.

She said if there had been a mistake they could get the correct ballot and the old one would be voided.

On the matter of the absentee voting list, Williams explained that the list they have currently comes from the same place as the list at the Registrar’s office, but the one in City Hall was printed out in late July, which accounts for the discrepancies.

Mayoral candidate Glenn King asked about the votes cast last week by Inez and Shirley Woods.

After voting absentee, the duo returned and claimed they had been coerced into voting absentee and Shirley claimed her ballot had been filled out for her.

The statements were contradicted in signed affidavits by the election staff as well as Lorraine Capers who was the one accused of coercion.

King asked about the status of those votes.

“They cast their ballots, they put their own ballot in the box, it will not be opened,” Williams said.

Later, in the regular City Council meeting, City Attorney Jimmy Nunn said he spoke with League of Municipalities attorneys who said the city officials had and were acting appropriately in the matter.

Several times, those in attendance had to be asked to quiet down so Williams could speak.

Williams also explained the procedure for keeping the heavy, metal box locked at all times.

The first lock, on the top, covers the opening through which the ballots are placed in the box.

The keys to that are kept in the city vault and removed each morning to unlock the top and allow ballots to be placed through the slit. Only two people, including Williams, have access to the keys.

The second lock, on the side, keeps the box shut.

With that lock closed, ballots cannot be removed or accessed.

The keys to the second lock are kept in a safety deposit box at a local bank.

King, in particular, expressed further frustration at the process.

He asked for other escorts to help guard the city mail as the absentee ballots are brought from the post office to City Hall.

“I think the candidates know how the ball game is played, we’re just looking for a fair empire,” King said.

Evans spoke on behalf of Williams and her staff.

“You could be up here and have the same type of questions thrown at you,” Evans said to the crowd.

“This is difficult job.

I do appreciate (Williams) and your staff.”