No recount for Talawanda, but there is for New Miami

Now that the Talawanda City Schools race has been counted and certified, there will not be an automatic recount needed.

There was a tight race for the final seat in the Talawanda school board race between Michael Crowder and Lori Parks in the Nov. 3 general election.

Mark Butterfield and Chris Otto finished one-two in the race, but the question remained for the third seat in which incumbent Michael Crowder had a slight edge over challenger Lori Parks. According to certified election results in Butler and Preble counties, Crowder has been certified the third-place winner and earns a four-year term.

But looking at the results in their entirety, it may seem an automatic recount is warranted. However, Butler County Board of Elections Deputy Director Jocelyn Bucaro said Monday only the seats in question are looked in a multi-candidate election when determining an automatic recount.

In Talawanda, only the third seat was in question, so “only the votes cast for Candidates 3, 4, and 5 are regarded as the ‘total votes’ cast for the third seat in computing the margin for an automatic recount,” Bucaro said.

That means Parks finished outside the half percent threshold in determining an automatic recount.

However, there will be a recount ordered in New Miami, and the second-, third- and fourth-place finishers are in question.

Penny Gray and Susan Price are the second- and third-place finishers in the race where the top three finishers win a seat on the board. Christine Ruder is three votes behind in fourth place, according to the certified results.

According to the results:

  • Roy Chapman: 445 (26.92 percent)
  • Susan J. Price: 405 (24.5 percent)
  • Penny Gray: 403 (24.38 percent)
  • Christine M. Ruder: 400 (24.20 percent)

The automatic recount was ordered to take place at 9 a.m. on Nov. 30.