Fayette election board certifies most primary election results
With the exception of the Republican nominees for Fayette County commissioner, all of the county’s primary election races have been certified.
County election board members Mark Rowen, John Kopas and Robert Lesnick, who participated via video, unanimously certified the results during a meeting Thursday.
The certification of the Republican commissioner’s race is being delayed because six petitions were filed asking for a court-ordered hand recount of ballots in Connellsville Township, Dunbar and South Connellsville boroughs, Georges Township’s third precinct and two precincts in Bullskin Township.
Some voters who filled out their ballots manually with pens, the petitions contended, noticed the ink bled through to the other side of the ballot. The petitions alleged that potentially spoiled the ballots, casting a vote inconsistent with voters’ wishes. A hearing on the petitions is scheduled for Aug. 22 at 9:30 a.m. in Fayette County Common Pleas Court.
Geno Gallo of Connellsville, a candidate on the Democratic ticket for county commissioner, said he couldn’t understand why the board won’t entertain a recount.
“The fact the board is fighting this recount really concerns me,” Gallo told the board Thursday. “I think [a recount] will alleviate a lot of suspicion in the community.”
Lesnick said the election board previously held a hearing where anyone was allowed to present evidence or question perceived impropriety of the primary results, but nobody came forward.
“Why don’t we just recount every election when anyone says ‘I want to have a recount,’?” Lesnick said. “Obviously we don’t do that, and we’re not going to start this time unless there’s (an adequately made) case that there was an impropriety.”
Michelle Mowry, chairwoman of the Fayette County Republican Party, asked what happens to the candidates who received now-certified votes from spoiled ballots, should a judge invalidate them.
“Do you have a plan to de-certify and make it right so the true candidate gets on the ballot?” Mowry asked.
“We will discuss it, and if we get to that point, we’ll make a plan to deal with it, if not beforehand,” Rowan said. “Part of it is pragmatism; if someone won a race by a thousand votes and if a hundred are kicked back, it’s not going to change the results of the election.”
Initially, 23 petitions were filed in various precincts across the county challenging the GOP commissioners race following the May 16 primary. However, three of the petitions were ruled invalid and the other 20 were dismissed by the elections board when none of the challengers attended a June 12 hearing to discuss their petitions.
On June 16, the board voted for the first certification of the primary election, but six of the 20 challengers filed a petition for reconsideration with the Court of Common Pleas to have their complaints heard.
The board has already certified the statewide elections, but did not do so with the local, school board and county races until Thursday. The final certification of the vote was supposed to be completed last month.
“There’s the logistical issue of the candidates needing to know who (was nominated) so they can start campaigning,” Rowan said, adding that the board is trying hard to follow the state’s statues. “If we go outside of that, it could open up a whole new Pandora’s box of problems.”
With the second certification complete, the local results – with the exception of the Republican commissioners race – will go to the state for approval.