Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1914-09-30
REGISTER OF DEEDS
NOMINATION IN DOUBT
Mistake in Hazel Green Re.
suits in a Tie Vote
A Contest Already Very Close, is Now
So Uncertain That IL May BE
Taken to the Court.

A new and important complication
has arisen during the past few days
IN the result OF the primary election
of Sept. 1, in this county. 1t will
be remembered that the contest be-
: tween Thomas A. Thompson of Fem
nimore, and Harlan j. Johnson, of
BOscobel, candidates for the Republic
can nomination for the Office of reg
lister of deeds, was very close. The
result was in doubt until the official
report of the county board of canvass
ers was made, when it was announc-
ed that johnson had received 1925
votes and Thompson 1905, giving
johnson. az plurality Of, 20 votes.
A few days ago Mr.. Thompson was
looking ever the announced result
as found by the csnsassing board,
and noticed it showed he had received
no votes whatever in. the town of
Hazel Green, while johnson was
credited with having received eleven
in that town. Thompson knew he
had some friends there who had
promised to vote for him and went
to see one or two of them. They
asserted in the most positive manner
that they had voted for him and there
must be some mistake in the report.
Further investigation disclosed the
fact that the tally sheet made out by
the clerk of election shows 20
votes for Thompson and IL for John
son, but the report sent to the can
wasting board enormously reported
the result Johnson IL, Thompson none.
If these 20 votes can be counted
they will make the result tie vote
1925 for each.
Just what action will be taken has
not been announced. The election
law provides that
Whenever any candidate, voted for
at any primary or election, shall, on or
before the last day of the meeting of
the board of county canvassers, file
with the county clerk a verified petit
ton setting forth that he was a candi-
date for a specified office at said pri-
mary or election, and that he is in
formed and believes that a mistake OF
fraud has been committed in specified
precincts in the counting or return OF
the votes cast for the office for which
he was a candidate, or specifying any
other defect, irregularity or illegality
in the conduct of said primary or cleo
ton, said board shall forthwith pro.
coed to ascertain and determine the
facts alleged in said petition and make
correction accordingly and recount the
ballots in every precinct so specified II
accordance Herewith. Such petition
shall first be served, as in case of sum
mons in a court of record, upon all OPP
posing candidates, if an election, anC
the opposing candidates of the same
party, if primary. Such petition anC
proof of service thereof shall be fileC
with the county clerk, together with {
fee of two dollars for each precinct II
which recount of the ballots is de-
manded in said petition. The affiant
and all opposing candidates shall be en-
titled to be present in person and by
council and observe the proceedings.
The time having passed by in which,
according to this statute the boarC
could be asked to make a recanvass,
the only recourse now seems to be to
carry the matter into the circuit court.