May 19 school board election still up in the air

After four months of dispute, debate and legal challenges, the outcome of the May 19 school district trustee election remained undecided this week following a Tuesday morning Fourth District Court hearing.

Judge Mike Wetherell tentatively delayed a final ruling on the disputed election to Sept. 18 in order to allow the attorney representing Cladis D. Houston time to review state law regarding contested election results.

Houston was seated by the board in July.

The issue stems from the May 19 election for the school district's Zone 4 trustee post previously held by Jo Gridley, who retired after 17 years of service.

The initial count the night of May 19 showed Houston leading William Murray by a slim three-vote margin, 47-44, for the Zone 4 trustee position. However, when district election officials started recounting the votes (because the election was so close), they noticed at least two voters did not live in the contested trustee zone. They held an official canvass of ballots the following Wednesday morning and found a third invalid ballot.

Affidavits presented by those voter to the court in recent weeks indicate all three people voted for Houston, eliminating his margin of victory in the election.

At Tuesday's hearing, Wetherell expressed his concerns regarding the additional delay and emphasized the need for all parties to present their cases at the upcoming hearing so the judge could render a final verdict.

During his opening comments, Wetherell said the matter was a case of "simple, common justice." Those that cast the invalid votes were advised by election officials they were at the right place to vote, he noted. But, the judge added, the courts have an obligation to count every valid vote and when they cast out the three invalid votes the election becomes a tie.

See the Mountain Home News for the complete story.