Schuetter calls for better election procedure

Wayne Schuetter wants to see a bit more oversight in the process used for the types of ballots that led to him losing to incumbent Mayor Terry Seitz in the 2015 election.

The deadline to appeal the special recount election commission’s decision to throw out a vote that conceded the victory to Seitz passed last week. Schuetter explained that after speaking with many attorneys and weighing his options, he felt that the likelihood of a favorable ruling was too low to spend the time and resources to pursue the appeal.

The ballot thrown out by the recount commission lacked the proper initials from a clerk. The procedural error automatically invalidates the ballot regardless of the voter’s intentions. The commission threw the vote out by a vote of 2 to 1. Members Merrill Osterman and Karen Mannix stayed the course with state law which says the ballot was invalid, but Art Nordhoff Jr. stated the voter should not be disenfranchised their right to vote due to the clerical error. With the vote thrown out, Seitz was given the election 1,856 to 1,855.

In addition to the cost of time and resources, Schuetter added that the process would only beleaguer what he considered has been a black eye for Jasper. “I don’t think the City of Jasper needs to go through that,” he said. “We do need to look at the process, though.”

“It is the law that two sets of initials have to be on each ballot that is given to people absentee or by the traveling board, and that is what I would like to address,” Schuetter said. “From the time it became known that one person’s set of initials were not on that ballot, I’ve had people say, ‘Well that person is at fault.’ I am here to tell you that I do not hold that person accountable for that mistake because there’s more to it than that. It doesn’t come down to just one person. The other person is responsible as well.”

Schuetter said the process is flawed. He explained that only two people — the Republican and Democrat clerks who sign the ballots — ensure the initials are on the ballots.

He added that only two people can handle the ballots before they are sent out but he felt the clerk should, at least, observe the process. “Why isn’t the clerk observing to ensure that all ballots have two sets of initials,” Schuetter asked.

He explained that he had looked at the procedure followed for the ballots. He determined the absentee ballots were mailed with the absentee voter’s bill of rights. The bill of rights included directions for the voter to ensure there were two sets of initials on the ballot or it would be invalid.

“It’s on the bill of rights. Not on your instructions,” he said. “So, if this ballot that was thrown out came from an absentee voter that put everything back in the envelope and mailed it in, if they did not read the bill of rights, they may not have known to check for the two sets of initials. To me, if it is that valuable, that important, it should be right on the top.”

Schuetter stated he felt the procedure failed the voter who’s vote was thrown out not the clerks. “It is an insufficient procedure and an ineffective one,” he said.

Schuetter said he was discouraged when a new resident in Jasper compared local politics to that of Tammany Hall. Tammany Hall was a foundation of politicians and business leaders that ruled over New York City for many years beginning in the late 1700s. Those elected leaders supported by the group were able to hold onto powerful positions for many years and swing elections to their favor.

“I think this election process has hurt our image,” he said. “I hope the people on the electoral board and others make it right to show we can do things correctly and to make sure that people in Jasper, regardless of their abilities, condition or age, have their right to vote protected by procedure as well as human process.”

“Again, I thank all those who supported my candidacy, especially those who voted for me. All 1,856 of you,” Schuetter said in closing. “I also encourage the people of Jasper to be vigilant about what is actually happening in City Hall and not just accept the positive image campaign that we sometimes are given.”