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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council - 11/09/1974 - Other A� MINUTES CANVASSING BOARD OF THE CITY OF EDEN PRAIRIE ADJOURNED FROM NOVEMEER 7 , 1974 Saturday , November 9, 1974 8:00 AM, City Hall MEMBERS PRESENT: Mayor D. W. Osterholt , Joan Meyers, John McCulloch, Wolfgang Penze! and Sidney Pauly COUNCIL STAFF: City Manager Robert P. Heinrich , City Attorney Harlan Perbix, Clerk-Finance Director John Frane . The meeting was called to order by Mayor Osterholt at 8:15 AM. All members of the City Council were present. Mayor Osterholt asked the Finance Director-City Clerk, John Frane, if all four candidates for City Council signed the consent form permitting the recount to take place. Mr. Frane presented signed copies of the consent form to the Council. Mr. Bye and Mrs. Meyers , candidates for the City Council, were present. ! Mr. Ferrick , another candidate, was represented by Mrs . Virginia Gartner. Mr. Bernhardt was not represented nor present. Mr. Perry Forster read the following statement: "A number of statements have been made concerning the counting of ballots in Precinct 1 at last Tuesday's election. I would like to say at the outset , that nothing deliberate was done to alter the outcome of the City Council election or any of the other races that were counted that night. A conscientious effort was made by all who were election judges to follow the prescribed procedures. After the polls were closed , a tally was made of the total number of people who voted in Precinct 1. This was 799. Then each of the ballot boxes was opened individually.in the presence of the seven judges , (the four election clerks and the three counters) plus an observer from the League of Women Voters, and all of the ballots were counted to see if this corresponded to the number of people voting . In no case did the number of ballots exceed the number of people voting. After this tally was made, the green ballots (city council ballot) %sere then counted, because it was felt that this race had the highest interest in Eden Prairie . At the time the green ballots were counted, . r Minutes -- Canvassing Board - 2 - November 9 , 1974 seven election officials participated in the counting . They were Mrs . Marge Woodhouse , Mrs . Evelyn Rogers , Mrs. Lorraine Raths , Mrs . Lullnn Guthmueller, Mrs. Pat Arlt, Mrs . Harold Schaitberger and myself. We split up into two pairs of two and a group of three to count the ballots. The votes were tallied. After talking with a number of the other judges, it has been determined that either a portion of the ballots were counted twice or there was a tally error. In hindsight, we should have double checked to be sure the count was correct . However, four of the judges had been working since 6 :30 am and were physically exhausted . All but one left, the other judge staying until 12:30 am. when she left also, because of being physically worn out. I would like to point out, that earlier in the evening we requested more help-but were not successful in obtaining any. The two other judges and I then began the unenviable task of counting the three remaining ballots (white , yellow, and pink) . The League observer, Mary Hayden, also stayed the night. We obtained another counter at 1:00 am on our own , which we were entitled to do under Minnesota Election Statutes 203 . 24 . Our work was completed at 7:00 am, eleven hours after the reported for work. In the absence of other instructions, we sealed all ballots including the city ballots , with string and wax after the counting was completed . There were many times that night when we all would have liked to just pack up and walk out, but we didn't. We attempted to do the best job possible under most adverse circumstances. Rather than condemning us , I feel we deserve same recognition for doing our appointed jobs as well as we did . There was no attempt to defraud , steal the election , or anything else. It was an honest mistake, made by conscientious people , working under most adverse conditions , nothing more, nothing less. Thank you. " Other Precinct 1 counters made comments regarding the facilities and the working conditions on the evening of the election, Nove'rnber 5 , 1974 Those responded included Mrs. Arlt , Mrs . Schaitberger and Mrs. Raths. Mayor Osterholt broke the seal on the ballots in Precinct 1 and the Council proceeded to count the total number of ballots cast. 'total numbered 799, which was the number certified by the precinct counters. . � r Minutes - Canvassing Board - 3 - November 9 , 1974 A i The Council proceeded to tabulate the votes for each candidate . The results were as follows: Gregg W. Bernhardt 168 Williarn D. "Billy" Bye 449 Dick Feerink 314 Joan Meyers 569 Blank and Invalid 22 Single Votes 72 Write-Ins 4 TOTAL VOTES 1 ,598 Councilman McCulloch, seconded by Penzel, moved to certify the election results as presented by the election judges for district 2 and 3, and district 1 as corrected . All voted aye . Motion carried . District I District II District III TOTAL Reg istered Voters 1 , 237 1 , 441 1 , 011 3 ,689 at 7:00 a.m . Registered at Poll 100 193 158 451 Votes Cast 799 989 727 2 ,515 't kdr* k�c•,F*�rE*** Y•*ic *dt k h**fir CITY COUXTCIL Gregg W. Bernhardt 168 163 169 500 William D. "Billy" Bye 449 549 405 10403 Dick Feerick 314 474 282 1 ,070 Joan Meyers 569 681 489 1 , 739 WRITE-INS P2?111 Red�;.rth 1 1 2 Pat Arlt 1 1 Gary Branson 1 1 Mike Gran 1 1 M . Wynne 1 1 I.. Butler 1 1 R. Oswald I 1 Wm. Walk-helm 1 1 Ronald Ke si 1 1 Minutes - Canvassing Board - 4 - November 9 , 1974 District I District II District III TOTAL t Blank and Tnvalid 22 22 s Single Votes 72 _ __ 72 TOTAL VOTES. . 1 �598 7 �871 _1 ,347 4 t816 Councilman Penzel, seconded by Mrs. Meyers , moved to adjourn. The City Council as a Canvassing Board was adjourned at 10:00 a.m. Respectfully submitted, Robert P. Heinrich Acting Clerk RPFT:jp �r