Court asked to rule in 2 races

By John Hilton    The Sentinel    November 29, 2005
 

Sometimes one vote does matter.

Cumberland County Court is being asked to decide if one vote might change the outcome in a tight race for magisterial district judge in Carlisle.

In another race, the county election board will meet Wednesday to begin sorting out a ballot discrepancy that might change the results of a tie in the contest for Lower Allen commissioner.

?This is an incredible and unusual election year,? county Commissioner Rick Rovegno says.

Petition filed

In the judge race, Democrat Jessica Rhoades is the unofficial winner over Republican Kathy Keating by a 1,703-1,701 margin.

County election officials completed a hand recount and a machine count earlier this month after a programming error by the county?s ES&S voting machines awarded all votes by Democrats casting a straight-ticket ballot to Keating.

Keating cannot file an official petition for a recount until the results are certified by the county election board, which meets Wednesday at 11 a.m. Represented by attorney John Abom, Keating filed a ?petition to contest? Monday to preserve her right to a recount.

?I just want a good number, which I don?t feel we have yet,? she said this morning. ?One error can change the outcome of this race.?

The hand and machine recounts showed discrepancies in two precincts, Keating said.

The Carlisle magisterial district judge seat is one of two new judge seats set to begin operating Jan. 1 under a state Supreme Court order. Current Carlisle District Justice Paula Correal?s office will move to North Middleton Township.

Hand count likely

In Lower Allen, Republican commissioners Richard F. Schin and Peddrick M. Young Sr. tied for one of two open seats on the board with 1,721 votes each, county Commissioner Rick Rovegno said. The unofficial tally had showed Schin beating Young by five votes.

Democrat Dan Christ won the other Lower Allen commissioner seat with 1,894 votes, Rovegno said.

The Schin-Young tie is marred by a discrepancy in Lower Allen?s 6th Precinct.

?There were 660 votes cast, but there were 659 registered voters who signed in,? Rovegno explained.

County commissioners, who constitute the election board, will call for a hand count of the 6th Precinct ballots to verify the vote totals for Schin and Young and to attempt to resolve the ballot discrepancy, Rovegno said.

?Depending on the resolution of the hand recount, we may need to hold a special runoff election,? he added.

County Solicitor Edward Schorpp is researching ?what the proper course of action is,? Rovegno said.

Since it would be confined to the 6th Precinct, a runoff election would not cost the county significantly, he added.