The Auglaize County Board of Elections met for a special meeting on Tuesday morning at the County Administration Building to certify the election results from earlier this month.
Several close races were verified, but one local contest looks poised to be headed toward an automatic recount.
The New Bremen Local School District Board of Education contest will likely be recounted next Tuesday, as the margin of victory fell underneath the one-half of one percent threshold that automatically triggers a recount. The difference between the third and fourth place finishers Shelly Busse and Steve Vonderhaar was a mere six votes.
While the bulk of the votes came from Auglaize County, the New Bremen School District also includes parts of Mercer and Shelby Counties. Because the election traverses county lines, the Ohio Secretary of State's office's involvement may be required.
An automatic recount takes place when the margin between candidates is under one-half of one percent, but the recount only applies to the third through fifth place finishers.
Leading vote-getter Suzanne Wells and runner-up Michele Bambauer would not be included in the recount. The three remaining candidates, Busse, Vonderhaar, and Valerie A. Mumaw would be included. Mumaw is largely out of the running, leaving Busse and Vonderhaar's fate up in the air until next Tuesday morning.
The threshold for an automatic recount is determined by adding the lowest three candidate's total votes, then multiplying by one-half of one percent. If the actual margin of votes is lower than the number determined by the formula, the board orders a recount.
If ordered, the recount would take place Nov. 28 at 9:30 a.m. at the Board of Elections Office in Wapakoneta.
Two other close races were certified, as both margins were above one-half of one percent.
In the race for Washington Township Trustee, Rick Homan, a write-in candidate, was determined to have...
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