City 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,
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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.
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Minutes - Canvassing Board - 3 - November 9 , 1974
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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
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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
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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
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