Sisters of the University of Alabama’s Chi Omega chapter were offered some unconventional incentives to vote in a Board of Education race on Tuesday.
The day before the elections took place, an executive member of the chapter’s board sent an email encouraging members to vote for two UA alums. The email promised five offers in exchange for the chapter members’ votes, including free cover and a wristband for a free drink at two Tuscaloosa City bars. In addition to the free drinks, the girls were also told they would be taken to the polling stations in limos if they registered to vote.
Though UA alums and election candidates Cason Kirby and Lee Garrison won by a very slim margin, no clear connection has been made between the two candidates and the email. Kirby’s opponent Kelly Horwitz, however, has refused to concede the election and accuses him of voter fraud.
“In a list that was e-mailed to me this weekend, y’all are the only [members] registered in the specific district that are allowed to vote,” the email states. “Cason Kirby, a past SGA president of the University of Alabama is running for the City Board of Education, and Lee Garrison a UA Alum is also running.”
“They would really appreciate/need your vote to win this election. It’s going to be really tight, and it is SO IMPORTANT that they get the Greek Vote. I told both of them that I would do my best to make sure that I got every Chi O that was registered to the polls. There is a big incentive for you going as well!!”
On Tuesday, a few stretch limousines reportedly parked along UA’s sorority row to shuttle voters to the District 4 polling station. Later on that night, some bar patrons at Innisfree and Moe’s were sporting matching wristbands, though no one has confirmed whether the wristbands were part of the deal promised in the email.