While a surprise write-in candidate for mayor shook up what was expected to be a quiet election in Berlin this week, the last-minute effort was not successful enough to change the composition of the council.
After voters hit the polls Tuesday, Mayor Gee Williams, District II Councilmember Lisa Hall and District III Councilmember Elroy Brittingham emerged victorious in their re-election bids. Of the three, Hall was the only one to have an official opponent on the ballot, Ronald Marney, who achieved 68 votes to her 169. Brittingham ran completely unopposed.
The big surprise of the day came in the mayor’s race, however, with write-in candidate Ellen Lang managing to secure 122 votes. Williams earned 335 votes, but still expressed deep irritation at the manner in which Lang came out of nowhere to almost perform an election upset. According to Williams, it wasn’t an underdog story but an unethical attempt by a special interest in the town to purposefully setup an uncontested election and then take advantage of low voter turnout to throw a coup for mayor.
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7 comments:
This Williams is got a hell of a nerve. So he thought he was running uncontested? Write in candidates are allowed. He must be a democrat because they don't seem to understand what democracy in action means.
If he's so concerned about taking advantage of low voter turnout, then why doesn't he champion moving the election from October to November? It makes no sense to have town elections now when they could just do it at the same time as the presidential election. Why have it a month earlier? It guarantees both more expense to taxpayers and turnout that approaches 0%.
While I dont really care who the mayor of Berlin is, if you can win an election by supporting a write in candidate to further your cause... do it. But guess there were not enough supporters of the fire department. Its sort of like the back door on big brother. Ethical? maybe not. Legal? yes.
Anonymous said...
This Williams is got a hell of a nerve. So he thought he was running uncontested? Write in candidates are allowed. He must be a democrat because they don't seem to understand what democracy in action means.
October 11, 2012 8:11 PM
In order to be legitimate you have to file as a write in by a certain date. So you are wrong..
BFC is a bunch of old rednecks, that have screwed up, and that a fact! Now they want to blame everyone else. I will agree, Gee Williams is just as bad, bad reflection on everyone, Sad! BTW, ask about Gee's brother "smooth", the works for the BFC, plot thickens.
Then he shouldn't be all jazzed up over it and attempting to turn nothing it into federal case, 9:57! Now it sounds petty and truly foolish of him.
I know very few people in OC who are happy that they've voted to make the elections the same day 8:55.
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