Published: Thursday, September 10, 2009
Close race focuses attention on rejected ballot
EDMONDS — A primary ballot cast by an Edmonds City Councilwoman with progressive Lou Gehrig’s disease wasn’t counted because of problems verifying her signature.
The fact that one council race faces a Friday hand recount heightened the reaction to the Sept. 1 decision by the canvassing board, the three-person committee that certifies Snohomish County election results.
The recount is needed to try to determine who the winner was in the contest between Lora Petso and Ron Wambolt. Petso, who served on the council from 2000 to 2003, is three votes ahead of Wambolt, the incumbent.
The winner will move on to the Nov. 3 election against Adrienne Fraley-Monillas, who won the most votes in last month’s mail-in primary.
Councilwoman Peggy Pritchard Olson cast her mail-in primary ballot, but it was rejected because her signature didn’t match the one the county auditor’s office has on file, Auditor Carolyn Weikel said.
Olson could not be reached for comment.
State law requires voters to sign the envelopes in which they place their ballots. If the voter can’t sign the envelope, the law says they can use a mark in place of a signature but two people have to serve as signed witnesses, Weikel said.
When her office determined the signatures didn’t match, it gave Olson a second chance to sign an affidavit, with two witnesses.
Instead of Olson signing the document, Weikel said, another family member printed Olson’s name on the envelope and also served as the witness.
But that didn’t adhere to the rules, which require a signature to match the signature on the envelope from the original ballot, she said.
“You can’t make a mark for someone else,” Weikel said. “They have to do that. Once that was witnessed by someone else and that envelope got into our office, there is no way to change that.”
The county canvassing board decided on Sept. 1 to invalidate the ballot.
Countywide, nine primary ballots were rejected because signatures didn’t match, seven were rejected because there was no signature, and 132 were postmarked after the voting deadline.
Oscar Halpert: 339-3429, ohalpert@heraldnet.com.
The fact that one council race faces a Friday hand recount heightened the reaction to the Sept. 1 decision by the canvassing board, the three-person committee that certifies Snohomish County election results.
The recount is needed to try to determine who the winner was in the contest between Lora Petso and Ron Wambolt. Petso, who served on the council from 2000 to 2003, is three votes ahead of Wambolt, the incumbent.
The winner will move on to the Nov. 3 election against Adrienne Fraley-Monillas, who won the most votes in last month’s mail-in primary.
Councilwoman Peggy Pritchard Olson cast her mail-in primary ballot, but it was rejected because her signature didn’t match the one the county auditor’s office has on file, Auditor Carolyn Weikel said.
Olson could not be reached for comment.
State law requires voters to sign the envelopes in which they place their ballots. If the voter can’t sign the envelope, the law says they can use a mark in place of a signature but two people have to serve as signed witnesses, Weikel said.
When her office determined the signatures didn’t match, it gave Olson a second chance to sign an affidavit, with two witnesses.
Instead of Olson signing the document, Weikel said, another family member printed Olson’s name on the envelope and also served as the witness.
But that didn’t adhere to the rules, which require a signature to match the signature on the envelope from the original ballot, she said.
“You can’t make a mark for someone else,” Weikel said. “They have to do that. Once that was witnessed by someone else and that envelope got into our office, there is no way to change that.”
The county canvassing board decided on Sept. 1 to invalidate the ballot.
Countywide, nine primary ballots were rejected because signatures didn’t match, seven were rejected because there was no signature, and 132 were postmarked after the voting deadline.
Oscar Halpert: 339-3429, ohalpert@heraldnet.com.
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