"Mistake" At Polls May Have Cost Trustee Election

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Story Published: Nov 5, 2009 at 6:19 PM EDT

Story Updated: Nov 5, 2009 at 7:59 PM EDT

It will be a couple of days before St. Lawrence County Board of Elections officials can determine what went wrong with new electronic voting machines in several communities.

With a court-ordered machine impoundment now lifted, officials can try to figure out why machines jammed or malfunctioned.
 
There were also problems in Gouverneur where three candidates were running for two seats on the village board.

Unofficial results had incumbent trustee Mike Bartholomew finishing last in his re-election campaign - just 57 votes short of another incumbent.

But he says the election results are skewed because a sample ballot posted at the polls mistakenly gave the impression that only one spot was up for vote.

"I'm just wondering how many voters actually just voted for two because of the fact they were following instructions on the ballot," said Bartholomew.
 
Republican Election Commissioner Debbie Pahler admits the mistake was made but was later corrected during the day.

It's not known how many voters may have been accidentally misled into casting ballots for just one candidate.

While absentee ballots like this one had the proper marking instructions and the machine was properly programmed to accept votes by one person for two separate candidates.

Officials admit the confusion may have been misleading.

"It said, 'Vote for One,' although you could still vote for two people. The programming was done correctly. It was just the printing that was incorrect. It was a mistake by our office," said Debbie Pahler, GOP Elections Commissioner. 
 
Bartholomew says he's reviewing his options and hasn't decided whether to challenge the outcome with the state Attorney General's Office.

But he says the mistake may have cost him votes that cost him the election.
 
Democratic candidate Carl Petitto, was the top vote-getter in the three-way trustee race.

He says the ballot problem could have implications.

"It skews the numbers," said Petitto.
                       
Meanwhile, there are several tight races that could end up being decided by absentee ballots that will be opened November 19.

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