Opinion ID: 1364196
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: The 247 questioned ballots from District 6

Text: The superior court found that 247 questioned ballots from District 6 in Anchorage were misplaced by election officials and were discovered in an unlocked cabinet in the election office in Anchorage on September 23, 1978, well after the certification of the primary election nominees. Each of these ballots is contained within two sealed envelopes. An expert witness called by the state testified that there was a high degree of probability that no tampering with the envelopes had occurred. Appellees' expert witness could find no evidence that the envelopes had been tampered with. Neither expert could say conclusively, i.e., with absolute certitude, that the envelopes had not been tampered with. We note the circumstance that if someone had tampered with the ballots it would be unlikely that he would put them in a place where they would not be discovered until after the election contest had commenced. In these circumstances we hold that the state met its burden of proof, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the ballots were not the instrument of fraud and that it was probable that they had not been tampered with. See In re Democratic Primary Election of Somerset Township, 405 Pa. 169, 174 A.2d 23 (1961); Appeal of McCaffrey, 337 Pa. 552, 11 A.2d 893 (1940); Robinson v. Osborne, 314 S.W.2d 681 (Ky. 1958); Tebbe v. Smith, 108 Cal. 101, 41 P. 454 (1895). [7] While we affirm the factual findings of the superior court, we reverse its holding as to the legal standard to be applied to those findings. Under the applicable law the ballots are entitled to be counted and added to the totals of the various candidates. It follows that these ballots should be counted and added to the totals of the various candidates. The state asserts that election officials have determined that ten of these ballots were cast by persons not properly registered. Those ballots should be eliminated from the count if that is the case.