Village race comes down to coin toss
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CLINTON — County officials met on Wednesday morning to count absentee ballots and certify the results of the Apr. 4 election. While most of the local races were unaffected by the additional votes, the county clerk will have to determine the outcome of one race by the toss of a coin.
County Clerk Dana Smith, State’s Attorney Dan Markwell, Dustin Peterson, county Republican chairman, and Loretta Rogers, representing the county Democrats, met in the county clerk’s office as a handful of absentee ballots were fed through a voting machine. Absentee ballots were from Wapella and Santa Anna Township, which includes Farmer City.
Two members of the media also were present to witness the procedure.
The additional votes did not affect any of the Farmer City races, but a tie between two candidates for Wapella Village Board now will be decided by a coin toss. This won’t be the first local race decided by the unusual method. A tie race for a county board seat in 2012 also was decided by the toss of a coin.
In the tie race for a four-year term on the Wapella Village Board, Sherry Mears, People’s Party, and Reggie Westfall Citizen’s Party, wound up with 90 votes each after absentee ballots were counted. The County Clerk will invite the two candidates to attend a coin toss in her office to decide the final result of the vote.
Voters were to select three candidates to serve 4-year terms in that race. Suzanna Holland, Citizen’s Party, with 97, received the most votes to return as a trustee, and Mandy Huff, People’s Party, also will return as a trustee, receiving 91 votes.
In another tight race, Ryan Carter, People's Party, defeated former board president Mark Miller, Citizen's Party, for a two-year term as trustee 85-84.
In the race for village board president, the absentee count extended Richard Karr’s, People’s Party, lead, and he kept his seat, defeating Cheri Miller, Citizen’s Party, by seven votes, 90-83.
Lauren Johnson, People’s Party, appointed earlier to fill the vacant village clerk position, won election over Sherri Stamp, Citizen’s Party, 97-72, following the absentee count.
