Dixon Says She Doesn't Concede Election, Wants All Votes Counted

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Contested election. Right now, several outraged candidates are cranking up the pressure on Baltimore City elections officials, alleging incompetence and claiming voters were turned away at the polls one week ago---and right now, thousands of votes have yet to be counted.

Investigator Mike Hellgren has more on the growing controversy over voting irregularities.

Absentee and provisional ballots are still being counted but the unofficial results look like this:

Catherine Pugh has just over 46,000 votes, or 34%, and Sheila Dixon has 43,462 votes, or 32%. That's a difference of 2,574. About 3,300 votes separated Catherine Pugh and Sheila Dixon on election night a week ago.

"I'm not through yet," Dixon said.

Former Mayor Sheila Dixon tells WJZ she never conceded the mayoral primary to Senator Catherine Pugh.

"Never to this magnitude have I seen this," she said.

Dixon believes as many as 15,000 absentee and provisional ballots have yet to be counted.

"My gut says this election, and early voting in particular, was handled unprofessionally but there were a lot of underhanded things done," she said.

Pugh declined to comment but other candidates and activists rallied outside the Board of Elections, calling into question the legitimacy of the election.

"How many votes did we lose in the fifth district because of the incompetency and lack of training of these election judges?" said candidate Betsy Gardner.

They allege voters were given the wrong ballots and believe votes from eight precincts not immediately turned in may have been tampered with.

Polling places opened late, lacked supplies and some voters were turned away.

"The actual election was what we call rigged," said Ahmed Royalty.

"If you had a job and you conducted yourself in the manner which the head of the Baltimore City Board of Elections conducted himself, you would be fired," said Rev. CD Witherspoon.

The elections director says the primary wasn't perfect but it was legitimate.

"I have no doubts about the votes being counted," said Election Director Armistead Jones.

His office will be counting thousands of absentee and provisional ballots through Friday, with critics calling for an independent investigation.

"How many people gave up their lives for this right to have---not just run for office---our votes counted and our voices heard?" Gardner said.

The Board of Elections plans to have the final primary results certified Friday afternoon.