Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
MERCER'S ELECTION workers recount ballots during Wednesday's recount of the Iron County Board of Supervisors race between incumbent Victor Ouimette and John Sendra. Among those attending the recount were, foreground from left, election workers Cheryl Kowaleski and Connie Yeakle. Several people observed the recount, including Ouimette, left, and Iron County Clerk Michael Saari.
By RICHARD JENKINS
MERCER, Wis - The ballots cast in the April 5 race between incumbent Victor Ouimette and John Sendra to represent Mercer's District 11 on the Iron County Board of Supervisors were recounted Wednesday and the final result remains the same - a four-vote Sendra win.
The recount consisted of verifying the number of voters in the poll book was correct, verifying the number of ballots was the same as election night and then recounting the ballots.
While Iron County's Board of Canvassers still needs to meet and certify the recount results - scheduled to take place today - the result of the recount has Sendra with 109 votes to Ouimette's 105 votes.
Although the recount settles the matter of the vote totals, the election saga may not be over.
Due to an unknown number of voters in District 11 receiving ballots for the District 12 race - which had Opal Roberts running for re-election unopposed - there is the potential that Ouimette could appeal the election's result to Iron County Circuit Court Judge Patrick Madden. Both Districts 11 and 12 voted in the same polling location.
According to Iron County Clerk Michael Saari, state law allows Madden to declare a special election to fill the seat if he decides the issue of the wrong ballots is serious enough that a revote is the only remedy.
Ouimette declined to say whether he planned to appeal the result.
"Obviously, I would have been happier if I had won the recount, but I'm not sure what my plans going forward are. I will talk to my attorney, probably sometime tomorrow," Ouimette told the Daily Globe after the recount. "I'm not sure what I want to do yet until I talk to my attorney, and then, after that we'll make a decision whether we contest the election."
Sendra made it clear he felt the recount confirmed the fact that he won the election and should be seated on the county board, saying that as there was no court injunction in the case he felt he should be sworn in once the canvass completes its certification of the recount result.
"I won again," Sendra told the Daily Globe. "I don't understand why Vic is being hard-headed about this, but if there was a mix-up over at the town of Mercer, I think we both suffered equally."
Sendra said today's canvass will likely be the fourth time he is shown to have won the election - the election night results, the initial canvass, the recount and the recount's canvass - and if Ouimette wants to pursue the matter further, Sendra would consider bringing a counter suit.
"If it goes to court, needlessly, I probably will bring a suit for a frivolous lawsuit to recoup my expenses," Sendra said. "That's where it's at."
Regarding Sendra's contention he should be sworn in following the canvass regardless of what Ouimette chooses to do, Saari said he will contact the state's Government Accountability Board following the canvass for direction on how to proceed.
