Victory declared in Silvana fire race

SILVANA – Snohomish County declared a victor Thursday in the election recount in Silvana’s Fire District 19.

By four votes, challenger Steven Geiger unseated incumbent Mark Winterhalter in the race for commissioner, position 3.

The final vote was 458-454 in the machine recount of 2,266 ballots cast in the district. A four-vote spread after the general election forced an automatic recount.

Each candidate lost one vote in the recount. During the general election, the counting machines possibly mistook either a creased ballot, dirt or shadows for votes, county election manager Carolyn Diepenbrock said.