The Alabama Supreme last week upheld a lower court’s ruling that will change the administration in Greensboro after voter fraud was found to have tainted 148 ballots.

The decision is a victory for the democratic process and another example of how the checks and balances we have in our electoral process do work.

Current Mayor Johnny Washington has been stripped of his title, and Vanessa Hill has been certified as the duly elected mayor of the city. We believe Hill’s leadership will provide a fresh direction for Greensboro, and we wish her well during her term.

As to the the voter fraud perpetrated on the people of Greensboro, we hope the investigation does not end with this Supreme Court ruling. Someone &045; or multiple parties &045; was responsible for this deceit, and they deserve to be punished to the maximum extent of the law.

Let us put into perspective the lengths to which people went to throw this election to Washington.

Of the 1,428 votes cast, 148 were illegal. That constitutes 10 percent of the vote, more than Washington’s original &8220;margin of victory&8221; or Hill’s actual margin of victory. In fact, 10 percent in an election is usually a landslide of votes.

These votes were all absentee ballots. Some of the addresses given were of vacant lots. Some addresses were given by multiple &8220;voters&8221;, none of which lived at the residence. Other ballots contained the names of dead voters.

In the end, our legal system worked as it was designed. Perhaps it did not work as quickly as some would have liked, but it ensured a thorough and honest review, which is important in our democracy. And when all was decided, the rightful winner has been declared.