Will There Be Any Recounts Needed After Today's Official Certification Of Ballots?

LEBANON, OH -- Today is the day that Warren County (Ohio) Board of Elections meets to certify the results of the November 7th election. This will make the unofficial results "official." At this time, the board will also decide if there will need to be an automatic recount for the two races that relate to the Franklin Township Trustee Position and the Mason Council Seat. 

The unofficial numbers show Franklin Township Trustee incumbent Brian S Morris (3,848 votes) losing his seat to Rob Rose (3,871 votes) by 23 votes or less than 0.5%. According to the Ohio Code, this mandates a recount since the vote "is equal to or less than one-half of one percent (0.5%) of the total votes cast on the candidate contest."  

The same thing has happened in the Mason City Council Race, which had three open seats. While Joy Bennett took 5,841 of the votes (24.48%) and Scott Gibson collected 5,406  of the votes (22.65%), the winner for the third seat may need a recount. The race between Josh Styrcula and Gina Sanders was less than one-half of one percent (0.5%) of the total votes cast on the candidate contest. Styrcula received 4,651 votes (19.49%) while Sanders took 4,610 votes (19.32%) for the third open seat.

According to Warren County's Director of Elections Brian Sleeth, they still have over 1300 Provisionals and quite a few absentee ballots that will be certified today (November 28) that could change the unofficial results for either one of these close races.

 Sleeth, also, noted that the Mason City School District's Board of Education votes may need to be recounted, but it will be the Ohio Secretary of State's responsibility to order that recount if needed since the Mason City School District involves more than one county, and  Mason City School District overlaps into Butler County.

Sleeth explained since Franklin Township and the City of Mason are only in Warren County, the Warren County BOE orders the recount. But when an election results involve more than one county, it's the Secretary of State that must order the recount.  

In the Member of Board of Education Mason City School District, three people were running for the two open seats.  Matt Steele received 9,534 votes (39.57%). But, Desiree Batsche  got 7,297 (30.28%) votes and Danni Tymitz received 7,264 votes (30.15%), causing them to fall into the less than one-half of one percent (0.5%) of the total votes cast, which would call for a recount.

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