Math Error Causes Election Day Confusion in Flatonia

An arithmetic error led to the mixup over election results in the Flatonia City Council race last Saturday.

Three people ran for two city council seats in the atlarge election: Josh Homan, Allen Kocian and Joayne Eversole. The City of Flatonia published an election return sheet showing that Homan and Kocian won the election with the following vote totals:

• Josh Homan - 111 • Allen Kocian - 78 • Joanye Eversole - 67

Later on Saturday night, Flatonia City Secretary Jaque line Ott issued a revised return sheet that gave Eversole 10 more votes, bringing her total to 77. Although it did not change the results of the election, it made it a lot closer than initially thought. Ott said she revised the return sheet due to an arithmetic error. The votes on the return sheet were separated by mail-in ballots, early voting ballots and election day ballots. Eversole received seven mail-in votes, 41 early votes and 29 votes on election day. Those numbers were the same on both the initial return sheet and the revised return sheet. But when election workers added them the first time, they miscalculated and shorted Eversole’s vote total by 10. Ott said she noticed the error and sent out the revised return sheet later Saturday night

Ott said Eversole initially inquired about petitioning for a recount. Ott said Eversole called her on Monday to inform her that she decided against pursuing a recount.