Dead heat: Mower recount ends with Sparks, Schwab tied
Published 12:00 am Friday, November 22, 2002
With recounts done in two of three counties in the district, Sen. Grace Schwab has gained 33 votes on Dan Sparks, and the candidates entered today’s Freeborn County recount in a tie for the District 27A senate seat.
Election-night returns had Sparks defeating Schwab by 33 votes, and the close margin triggered an automatic recount.
In Thursday’s recount in Mower County, Schwab, R-Albert Lea, gained 77 votes while Austin Democrat Dan Sparks gained 42 &045; meaning Schwab ended with a net gain of 35 votes in that county.
Many of the votes were originally counted as undervotes, where the voter did not mark the ballot for the senate election, but on closer examination, counters determined the voter had actually intended to vote for Sparks or Schwab.
In Fillmore County on Wednesday, Schwab lost two votes and Sparks’ total didn’t change, meaning Schwab entered the Mower County recount 35 votes behind.
In addition, 13 ballots &045; one from Fillmore County and 12 from Mower County &045; are disputed, and the state canvassing board will determine which candidate gets each ballot next week.
Counting in Freeborn County got underway shortly after 8 a.m. today at the Freeborn County auditor’s office, withrepresentatives of both candidates and the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office present. The counting is open to the public.
&uot;What’s probably most surprising is the amount of votes and how often voting machines are wrong,&uot; Schwab said this morning from St. Paul.
In Austin, counters found a discrepancy in one city precinct, where the vote total counted Thursday was 17 fewer than the total counted on election night, said Mower County Auditor Wally Vereide. Nobody has been able to explain the discrepancy.
Schwab also said ballots were discovered in Austin that were never counted on election night, but that they were evenly split between Sparks and Schwab.
She said the recount is being handled meticulously.
&uot;There is no doubt in my mind that this count is being done with tremendous accuracy,&uot; Schwab said.
If, after the canvassing board is finished, the election ends in a tie, the candidates may have to agree to decide the winner by flipping a coin or drawing a card, Schwab said.