(Updated 11/17/15)
A petition has officially been filed for a re-count by one of the two candidates whose vote tallies ended with a tie for the office of mayor of Jasper just ahead of today’s deadline.
The Dubois County Clerks Office says the petition was filed by attorneys on behalf of Republican incumbent Mayor Terry Seitz through the Dubois Circuit Court Monday afternoon.
Seitz and Democratic challenger Wayne Schuetter ended the night of the November 3rd election in a deadlock with both men receiving exactly 1856 votes apiece, a percentage of 47.57 percent of the vote for both. Independent candidate Joshua Budd finished this years election with a total of 190 tallies.
Both Schuetter, Budd and the Dubois County Election Board were named as respondents in the filing.
Both Seitz and Schuetter had until noon today to decide either to purse a petition process calling for a recount. If either had decided to go that route, they would be required to go though a court process asking for that recount paying any initial filing fees out of their own pocket as well as an initial bond with a minimum of 140-dollars.
The petition was filed by Indianapolis attorneys David Brooks and Samantha DeWester.
Now had a request for a re-count not been made by Tuesday’s deadline, officials with the both the Dubois County Republican and Democratic parties would still have had till noon this Friday to file. The suit asks that any and all ballot cards used in all 14 precincts in the election be counted manually.
State law requires that a recount must be completed by December 20th.
If the now pending re-count should still end in a tie, and the election is indeed certified by the state, the task of naming the official winner will be in the hands of the CURRENT Jasper City Council, not the governing city body that will take over after the first of the year.
If the election would come down to the council and if you’re looking at a vote of perhaps down party lines, the Jasper 7 member council currently consists of 4 democrats and 3 republicans.
By Indiana state code a vote and decision must be made by December 31st.
