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Nov 3, 2001 The design of the ballots in the Cortez Sanitation District recall election has caused confusion for some voters. Three district-board members, Stan Pierce, Sam Jarvis and Jim Bridgewater, are being targeted for recall. Voters are asked to vote yes or no on whether to recall each one. Then, under each of their names is a list of five replacement candidates in case the person is recalled. According to Kent Williamson, designated election official for the recall, votes will be tabulated separately for the candidates beneath Pierce’s name, because the time remaining on his term is longer than that left on the other two board members’ terms. "As I understand it, the way they’ve programmed the machine (in the county clerk’s office) is, the No. 1 vote-getter under Stan Pierce’s name will get Stan Pierce’s slot. Then the next two — I would assume the No. 1 vote-getter will be No. 1 for everybody, but if that person happens to be No. 1 for either Bridgewater or Jarvis, then we’ll go to the No. 2 candidate." In other words, Williamson said, it does matter under whose name you place your vote for the replacement candidate. Rather than all the replacement votes being lumped together and added up, they will be counted separately under the different names. "You really are voting for replacements for each of those individuals," Williamson said. If none of the three are recalled, the votes for replacements won’t matter. Williamson also said, although the front of the return envelope says votes won’t be counted unless the person writes his or her birth date on the back, that is not true. Because the instructions didn’t mention the birth date, and there is no place for it on the back of the envelope, votes will be counted regardless. Voters can mail their ballots or bring them to the clerk’s office or Williamson’s, 215 N. Linden. |
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Copyright © 2001 the Cortez
Journal. All rights reserved. |
