WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. October 23, 2006: The city Board of Education ratified Michele Schoenfeld’s second, corrected canvas of the $69.6 Million Referendum proposition election Monday evening. The vote was held in White Plains last Tuesday, with the final vote total being as reported by WPCNR Friday, 1,050 in favor, and 934 against. Board members, Michele Trataros, Peter Bassano, Terry McGuire and Rosemarie Eller voted in favor, with Donna McLaughlin, Rick Tompkins and Bill Pollak not present for the vote. Mr. Pollak arrived late.
Ms. Schoenfeld reported to WPCNR that the voting machines were not reopened to verify their election night counts reported by the election inspectors, employed by the City School District, most of whom are trained by the County Board of Elections.
Ms. Schoenfeld told the Board that the 10-vote swing in the Yes votes (down from 1,060, as first reported), was caught when it was noticed on the voting sheets that the number of voters did not match the number of votes (being 10 more). Upon inspection of the tally sheets, she said, it was discovered that a 9 (in the 10s column) had been read instead of an “8” on the vote total at District 4, The Middle School, leading to a 10-votes in the Yes total. Instead of 283, the sheet had been read as 293, Schoenfeld said, leading to the revision downward of 10 votes in the Yes category.
Schoenfeld said this was a very smooth election. “This was one of the smoothest elections ever. There were no machine malfunctions. No problems with voters and no one did not show up.”
After the Board vote, WPCNR asked Ms. Schoenfeld if she and her assistants had opened the voting machines to validate the machine counts. Ms. Schoenfeld said, “We didn’t open the machines,” that the inspectors opened and read the totals on the counters visible in the back of the machine on Referendum Night and locked up the machines. Schoenfeld said the reading of the counters on Referendum Night was the only time the machines were read.
Asked why the machines were not reopened to check the readouts, Schoenfeld said three inspectors read the counts on each machine. Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors told WPCNR when asked why a recount machine-by-machine had not been undertaken, said “It was not that close.”
No recount is planned.
The final numbers approved Monday night show 1,845 machine voters; 122 absentee ballots and 17 Affidavits for a total of 1,984 votes. The totals by District:
The Absentee Ballot Count, (included in the above YES-No Totals) for the record provided by the City School District Friday to WPCNR:
District 1: Fire House -- 2 Ballots -- 1 YES 1 NO
District 2: Church Street School -- 16 Ballots – 10 YES, 6 NO (2 Machines)
District 3: Rochambeau School – 64 Ballots – 57 YES, 7 NO
District 4: Highlands (Middle Sch) 11 BALLOTS 7 YES, 4 NO (2 Machines)
District 5: Mamaroneck Av -- 8 Ballots -- 7 YES 1 NO
District 6: Ridgeway School – 21 Ballots – 14 YES 7 NOs
Absentee Ballot Totals – 96 YES 26 NO
Affidavit Ballot Counts
Station 1 : Zero
Station 2: 1 YES, 1 NO
Station 3: 1 YES,
Station 4: 3 YES, 3 NO
Station 5: 2 YES 1 NO
Station 6: 3 YES, 2 NO
Affidavit Ballots: 10 YES, 7 NO
The Voter Count. Source: Michele Schoenfeld, WP City School District.
