Goodrich-A village councilmember request for a recount following the Nov. 4 village election in Precinct 4 has been denied by the board of canvassers.
The request was due to a possible tabulator malfunction or a possible ballot printing error, according to a petition filed by Councilmember Patricia Wartella to the Office of the County Clerk on Nov. 7. About 10 days later Councilmen Ralph Morey and David Lucik, along with village resident and council candidate Norman Bass, filed the objection on three issues: the individual requesting the recount received the most votes and therefore it’s unnecessary to change the results; Norm Bass said he lost the election and feels the results are correct; and as a group, the result was fair and the recount would be costly to the village.
‘I asked for the recount for a legitimate reason,? said Wartella. ‘I stuck to what I requested, I still think that the election was wrong, it would have cost the village hardly anything. But I have to accept it.?
The board of canvassers convened on Dec. 2 and heard testimony from several people, including candidates from the council election.
‘The board of canvassers were not convinced Wartella was aggrieved,? said Doreen Fulcher, Genesee County direction of elections. ‘She (Wartella) was the winning candidate’however’the candidate who would benefit from the recount, (Greg Tankersley) did not respond to the board regarding the recount.?
Fulcher said the board of canvassers were not swayed by the cost factor of the requested recount.
‘She (Wartella) did not prove her case,? said Fulcher.
‘Basically the request was denied due to a lack of necessity.?