Louisiana Supreme Court allows redo sheriff election after fraud discovered

The Louisiana Supreme Court is allowing a redo of the Caddo Parish sheriff's contest after illegal votes were discovered.

The court declined Thursday to hear an appeal of a lower court's decision that ordered a new election for the sheriff's race after 11 illegal votes were found, reported KTBS-TV, a local ABC affiliate.

Four of the justices decided against hearing the appeal, while two justices voted to hear the appeal and one justice recused himself.

The date for the new election has been set for March 23.

Democratic candidate Henry Whitehorn defeated GOP candidate John Nickelson by one point in the Nov. 18 election, leading to Nickelson requesting a recount.

Each candidate received three additional votes in the recount, still resulting in Whitehorn's one-vote victory.

Nickelson filed a lawsuit challenging the results and requesting a special election, claiming that illegal votes were cast, reported KTAL News, a local NBC affiliate.

According to a lower court's decision, two people voted twice, at least five absentee ballots were counted that shouldn't have been because they failed to comply with the law, and four invalid votes cast by unqualified voters were counted.

The decision was taken to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, which upheld the lower court's ruling earlier in December.