When the polls opened at noon for the 2015 Village of Owego election, Village Clerk/Treasurer Rod Marchewka cheerfully told the dozen or so politicos, journalists, and candidates that the ballot count would be done and everybody leaving for home by 10:30. He was just about right, down to the second.
Shortly after 10 p.m. on March 18, 2015 Poll Worker Carolyn Wright called for everybody’s attention. An unofficial count had 585 people voting in person, with another 44 write-in ballots mailed in, 629 total ballots. Wright then read aloud the results for the three contested Trustee races.
First Ward, Row A, A Positive Change Party: 279 votes, Lisa Curatolo. Row B, Rebuild Owego Party: 323 votes, Phoebe Shafer-Morris. Two write-in votes. Total ballots counted, 604.
Second Ward, Row A: 323 votes, Robin Manville. Row B: 292 votes, Jacque Millar. One write-in vote. Total ballots counted: 616.
Third Ward, Row A: 301 votes, Ann Lockwood. Row B: 307 votes Jenny Ceccherelli. Three write-in votes. Total Ballots counted, 611.
A Positive Change Party leader Curatolo said she was surprised she and Lockwood lost, she was also relieved that Manville won, and the balance of power was preserved on the Village Board of Trustees. “Rob will do a great job,” Curatolo said. Curatolo also said she has no intention of again running for elected office in the village.
Shafer-Morris and Ceccherelli both expressed their gratitude to the voters, and were looking forward to again taking seats as Trustees. Both said they were looking forward to working with Manville.
“It’s time to get to work and get things done,” Ceccherelli said, “I’m more than happy to be working with Rob, it’s gonna be fun!”
“Well, I’ve got my work cut out for me,” Shafer-Morris said laconically. “I’m humbled and honored, and ready to get to work on village business,” Shafer-Morris added, “I’m looking forward to moving ahead in a positive direction.”
While Lockwood said that she hoped that the projects she and current A Positive Change Party Trustees Steve May and Mike Phelps would be continued to completion, Lockwood’s race was the closest and she informed Marchewka that A Positive Change Party was requesting a recount of all three. Vote totals were too disparate to not request a recount of all ballots cast, Lockwood said.
Marchewka verified that there would be a recount in coming days. Frequently voters make mistakes that void part of the ballot, such as voting for two candidates in one race and their third for another, instead of one vote in each of the three races. While the single, correct vote would count in this case, the Trustee contest in which two votes were cast would be disqualified. Issues with misplaced signatures on write-in ballots may also cause problems, Marchewka said, as well as illegible ballot signatures with no other way of identifying who the ballot was cast by.
Marchewka thanked the six poll workers, along with the Village of Owego Fire Department, who moved some of their equipment outside for the election.
