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Local News

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Starn still leads in judge race
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By J. STEVEN DILLON

STAFF WRITER

A recount has been scheduled May 28 in the race for Findlay Municipal Court judge with 16 votes still separating the top two Republican candidates.

Hancock County Board of Elections Director Jody O'Brien said Jonathan Starn's margin of victory over Donald Rasmussen didn't change after provisional ballots were tallied Monday. "The difference remains at 16," she said.

O'Brien said the May 5 primary election vote was certified Monday morning after the provisional count and official vote canvass were conducted.

But an automatic recount is now required in the judge race because the final margin is less than one-half of 1 percent of the total votes cast in the contest.

With no Democratic or independent candidate for judge, the eventual winner of the Republican primary will face no opponent in November. He will succeed Judge Kevin Smith, who did not seek re-election.

O'Brien said about 60 provisional ballots were verified by elections officials since the election. An additional 10 provisionals were thrown out because the person casting the ballot on election day failed to bring identification to the elections board within 10 days of the election.

A provisional ballot is no different than a regular ballot, except it cannot be counted until election officials have verified the voter's eligibility.

O'Brien said there were also several absentee ballots counted Monday. Those ballots had a postmark of May 2, the deadline for absentee ballots, but didn't arrive at the Board of Elections until after that date and thus could not be counted until Monday.

O'Brien did not have an exact breakdown of provisional or absentee vote totals for Starn and Rasmussen, but said each candidate received the same number of "new" votes.

Some provisional ballots, she said, were "issue only" ballots, where the voter could not cast a vote for judge.



Recount ahead

The upcoming recount will involve a sampling of the ballots from election night. Election officials will take a 275-vote sample of ballots from randomly selected precincts.

Those 275 ballots will then be recounted. If the recount figure is within three votes of the election night total for those precincts, the recount will end.

However, if there is more than a three-vote difference between the election night count and the recount figure, then the process will be repeated with another sampling of 275 votes from other precincts.

If there is also more than a three-vote difference in the second sampling, then all the remaining precincts would be recounted, O'Brien said.

Dillon: 419-427-8423,

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Visit Findlay
News Briefs Work scheduled on Findlay streets
Findlay's Main Street, northbound, will be reduced at times to one lane between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. for waterline connection.

Main Street will not be accessible from East Lincoln Street. Lincoln Street will be closed to through traffic from South Main Street to South Blanchard Street from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for continued improvement work. Access to local businesses and residents only will be maintained.

Recount planned in trustee's race
OTTAWA -- After certifying election results on Wednesday, the Putnam County Board of Elections has announced a recount will be required for the Union Township trustee race, according to Deputy Director Shelly Burkhart.

The recount will be completed on Wednesday at the county elections board office, 336 E. Main Street, Ottawa.

Incumbent Daniel R. Ellerbrock has secured his position on the board, earning 685 votes. However the remaining trustee spot will require a recount as Gery P. Wurth earned 598 votes and Mark J. Kahle collected 601 votes, according to official results.

An automatic recount is necessary if the margin is within one-half of 1 percent of total votes cast, according to state law.

Road to be closed
Forest Lake Drive, between Marion Township 237 and Indian Lake Drive/Forest Lane, will be closed today for a pipe installation.

The road is expected to open by 5 p.m., weather permitting.

Motorists are advised to use Township 242.