Ottawa County news. (Port Clinton, Ohio) 1931-1956, 1948-11-19
WITT GAINS TOP
PLACE IN RACE
200-VOte Error Found During
Check After Jeremy's
Plea Is Refused

for Democratic commissioner cam
didate Edward Tank, which re-
suited in incumbent Commissioners
Rollie Witt gaining the highest
total among the four candidates
for that Office, was disclosed Fri
day night in q partial re-check of
the poll book of Danbury pre-
cinct.
The re-check was made by Elec-
ton Board Clerk Edward Minder-
man with Harold Jeremy, Repub-
lican Central Committee chairman
and one of the defeated G.. o. P.
candidates, present. Mr.. Jeremy
last week had requested recount of
votes in five precincts, but the re-
quest was refused by Ohio's At
torney General who ruled that the
filing had come after the five-day
deadline.
Results Unchanged
While the 200-vote error in fa-
vor of Mr.. Tank dropped his to-
tai behind Mr.. Wits, it does not
change the result of the election.
Mr.. Witt has 65s1; Mr.. Tank,
6519; Mr.. Jeremy, 1856, and
Louis Sandrock, the second Re-
publican candidate for commission
er, 4183.
The error resulted from mis-
take in phoning precinct totals to
the Board of Elections office from
Danbury 3, which was one of the
few precincts where G.. o. P. cam
didates gained good majorities.
In Lakeside, where this pre-
cinct is located, Mr.. Jeremy had
Tailed 800 votes and Mr.. Sand
rock had received 343. Accord
ing to early results, Mr.. Tank had
3S6 votes and Mr.. Witt, 298.
Mr.. Jeremy questioned this vote.
which would give grand total of
1417. According to the poll book.
500 persons voted for commission
ei and other county officials in
Danbury 3. As they voted for two
men, this would total 1898, or 10
less than the early total.
When the error was discovered
originally last week, two election
board members evidently added
100 votes to Mr.. Tanks total. in
stead of subtracting 100, thus
making the 200-vote error.
Mr.. Jeremy also sought recount
Of ballots in Danbury / and 2,
Portage 7 (Gypsum) and Catawba
Island precincts.
Lite Error Seen
Research by Mr.. Minderman dis
closed little possibility of error in
those four precincts. Catawba's
poll book shows $50 signatures,
and four absentee ballots brings
the total to 364 possible voters.
Highest total cast in Catawba
was on the state-county ticket
with 1863. One state and county
ballot was blank, thus the total of
364 checks. In Catawba, 36 ques-
tion and issue ballots were thrown
out for discrepancies, as were 35
judicial ballots. Four presiden-
tial ballots were blanks, and nat
urally, were not counted.
There were 445 signatures in
the Danbury poll book and two
absentee ballots for a total of 447
persons eligible to vote. No bal
lots were thrown out, and the 447
total checked accurately.
In Danbury 2, there were 301
poll book signatures and three
absentee ballots for a total of 304
possible votes. Highest cast in
Danbury 2 was 301 for state and
county candidates. Here there
were az judicial, four state and
county, and 20 presidential ballots
thrown out and not counted.
Many Lost Votes
Confusion over the Wallace cleo
torates appearing on the presiden-
tial ballot resulted in many lost
votes throughout Ohio. Mr.. Min
derman stated that the confusion
was statewide and that Ohio
Board of Election members have
had many arguments on the sub
ject.
In Portage 7 (Gypsum), 4S per-
sons lost their votes when their
ballots were invalidated, mostly
due to confusion on the Wallace
celebrates. Here there were 619
poll book signatures and eight alb
sentee ballots for a 627 total.
Highest cast was 622 for the state
county ticket. Seventeen Demo-
cratic and 10 Republican votes
were lost when voters also check
ed the Wallace celebrates in this