Paper ballots counted, but no decision in Sanitation 7 race

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Oceanside Sanitary District 7 candidate Tom Lanning filed an injunction on July 23 that called for 184 paper ballots collected on election night to be counted and a winner declared in the race for an open commissioner’s seat that has dragged on for weeks.

He got half of what he wanted.

On August 13, Nassau County state Supreme Court Justice Arthur Diamond ordered the paper ballots, which had been stored in a sealed box at the district office since the June 19 election, to be counted in court, but declined to declare a winner.

“The application to declare a winner is denied as premature,” Diamond said in a written order. Diamond said that only the sanitation department could review the ballots and certify the election.

The paper ballot count favored Lanning’s opponent, Mike Franzini, by a count of 116-60. Steve Edmondson received one additional vote, and seven remaining ballots were disqualified. Lanning saw his lead, which was 837-739 according to two voting machines used by the district, shrink to 897-855.

At issue is an irregularity in voting indicated by one of the voting machines used in the election. According to Jack Libert, a mediator hired by the district to examine the election, as many as 140 people who entered a voting booth did not cast ballots.

Because voter’s registration slips were placed in the same envelope as their ballots on election night, Diamond supervised the removal of the ballots so that anonymity was preserved.

The district’s commissioners met for a budget meeting on Monday morning, but were not expected to discuss any other business. The next scheduled meeting of the board is scheduled for September 4, but the board called a special meeting for Wednesday, August 20, after The Herald went to press.