District 1 County Commissioner candidates Frank Moe and Kristin DeArruda Wharton earlier this year.
Normally when the Cook County Election Canvass Board meets to certify election results, it is a routine event. This year there will be a bit more excitement as the Canvass Board will also witness the draw to determine the winner in the District 1 county commissioner race—Kristin DeArruda Wharton or Frank Moe.
The two District 1 candidates ended election evening in a tie, with 246 votes each. Either of the candidates may request a recount, to be paid for by the county, but first a winner must be determined.
Newly re-elected County Auditor Braidy Powers had to do some research about just how to proceed. State statute requires the canvass board to meet to confirm the election results and also requires the auditor to conduct a “decision by lot” to determine the winner. State statute was not clear which came first, so Powers told the Cook County News- Herald that the county would do the two activities at the same meeting at 9 a.m. on Monday, November 10 in the commissioner’s room at the Cook County courthouse.
The polls in Grand Marais were busy on Election Day 2014. The Cook County courthouse was not only a polling place, but the Auditor’s Office was where all the last-minute mail ballots were dropped off. Friends visited as they came and went throughout the day. These friends got a ride to the polls on the Arrowhead Transit bus. (L-R) Harriet Walsh, Betty Larsen, driver Mark Quello, Sherrie Lindskog.
Powers is the government official who convenes the canvass board and at press time he was gathering the board, which consists of two commissioners or their designees; the mayor of the largest city in the county or a designee; the court administrator, and the auditor.
Using a device in the court administrator’s office that is designed to eliminate any chance of partiality, dice will be tossed to determine the winner.
Once a winner is determined, state statute allows candidates to request a publicly-funded recount of the votes. If the count results in more votes for one candidate, the candidate with the most votes, after review by the canvass board will be declared the winner. If the count remains the same, after confirmation of the canvass board, the candidate who won the decision by lot will be the next county commissioner for District 1.
District 5 Commissioner race also close
Commissioner Ginny Storlie
The race was also extremely close in Commissioner District 5. Challenger Ginny Storlie of Lutsen received 5 more votes than incumbent Bruce Martinson of Schroeder. The final tally was 303 votes, or 49.92 percent for Storlie to Martinson’s 298, or 49.09 percent. That race had 6 write-in votes.
Reached by phone on November 5, Storlie said, “Bruce has run a good campaign and served well for District 5 over the past 12 years. I thank him for his endurance and time representing the West End. It will take some time for me to get up to speed but I look forward to meeting the challenges.”
The News-Herald contacted Commissioner Martinson on November 5 and asked if he would request a recount because the count was so close. Martinson said he would like to see a recount because he was told the machine only counted the ballots once. “I would have liked to have seen it run through twice,” he said.
However, if he requests a recount, unlike the District 1 race which meets the critieria for a recount paid for by the county, Martinson would have to pay. Martinson said he will wait to see the outcome of the inevitable District 1 recount. “If the count comes back different, then I would consider a recount,” said Martinson.
In the meantime, Martinson congratulated Storlie and wished her well in her new role as commissioner.
Rounding out the Commissioner races, in District 3, Grand Marais City Councilor Jan Sivertson ran unopposed for county commissioner and she tallied 263 votes. There were 25 write-in votes cast in District 3.
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