The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1947-11-13
VOTE FOR MAYOR
IN ALL PRECINTS
TO Be RECOUNTED
Requests Filed for Recount of
Mayors Vote i'm All Four
Precincts
County Board of Elections to
Set Recount Date at Meet
ing Thursday

Recount of the vote for mayor
cast in Bluffton's municipal election
last week will be made by the Allen
County Board Of Elections. This be-
came known the first of the week
when petitions were filed at the
office of the board in Lima making
formal request for recounting the
vote in all four precincts here.
Request for recount of the vote
in precincts B, G, and D was filed
Saturday repeatedly in behalf of a
group which supported Mayor w. A.
Howe for reelection in a write-in
campaign Board of Election Off
cials said the request was signed by
Gerald Berry, Homer Bracy, Lloyd
Brauen, Glen Moser and Charles
Wells.
Request for recount Of the vote
I'm precinct A was filed Wednesday
by a bipartisan Democratic and Re
publican group. Committeeman of
the two parties PRECEDING the cleo
tion had issued a statement asking
voters to make their choice of mayor
ality candidates from the two cau-
cus-nominees, Arden Baker, demo-
crat and Paul Stauffer, republican.
Signing the request were: Ralph
Badertscher, Fred Gettles, A. H.
Hauenstein, George Rauenbuhler and
Sidney Stettler.
COUNTY BOARD MEETS THURSDAY
A meeting of the county board of
elections is scheduled for Thursday
afternoon at 1:30 o'clock at which
time board members indicated date
will be set for the recount.
One representative Of each group
aequesting the recount and one rep
resntstive Of each of the candidates
involves. may be present whelF the
ballots areAaxecounted by the beard
Of elections. aRepresentatives may.
be accompanied B4ssss counsel +
theyadesire.
On the face of the official count
Baker was elected mayor last week
with vote of $40; Howe second
with 278 and Stauffer third with
206.
REPORT BALLOTS DISQUALIFIED
Talk of a possible recount arose
following the election when it was
reported that so ballots were dis
qualified because some had no check
or ''X" mark in front of Howe's
name and others with the name mis-
spelled or initials missing. Howe,
runnerup- on the official count, could
still win the election by gaining II
of the go disputed ballots.
Meanwhile Baker and Howe, cen
ters of the political dispute pro-
fessed disinterest in the entire mat
ter, each having declined to ask for
any recount of the votes. The two
have been closely associated in muni-
cipal affairs during the past two
years, Howe at present serving as
mayor and Baker member of the
town council.
This is the second time Howe has
figured in a write-in campaign, the
first being at the election two years
ago when as a republican candidate
for reelection he was defeated by
Charles Alderman, write-in candi-
date.
Alderman was at that time a
candidate on the republican ticket
for council to which he was also
elected. He refused the mayors
post, however, and chose to remain
on the council, which body persuad-
ed Howe, as winner on the republi-
can ticket to continue as mayor.
FIVE DAYS TO REQUEST RECOUNT
Ohio election statutes, provide that
petition for recount of the vote may
be filed not later than the fifth day
after certificate of the official count
has been made.
The recount may be requested by
anv candidate voted for at the elec-
tion or any group of five or more
qualified electors voting at the cleo
ton, by making an application in
writing to the board of elections
and by depositing with the board
cash or bond in amount of $40 for
each precinct in which recount is
requested.
In event the recount shows var
iation of over two per cent from tht
official count the money is refunded
to the petitioner, otherwise it is re
tanned by the board and turned int
the county funds.
The petitioners are entitled t.
have the votes for any candidate O
candidates for the same office re
counted in any or all precincts up
ON terms and conditions provided b!
e@o,tas~n{nur Srseh recount