Attorney general orders recount in election for Salmon City Council over one vote

SALMON — The Idaho Attorney General’s Office has ordered a recount after a Salmon City Council election was determined by a difference of one vote.

According to a public notice from the Lemhi County Clerk’s Office, a recount of the ballots cast in the Nov. 4 Salmon City Council race has been ordered by the Idaho Attorney General’s Office.

The recount was initiated following a petition by incumbent Margaret Glodowski, who lost the third available seat for City Council to newcomer Debby Bielby by one vote.

Bielby secured 342 votes, while Glodowski received 341 votes. The other two open seats were won by two incumbents, Bob Overacker and Marti Bryant.

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Glodowski has served on the City Council since her election to a four-year term in November 2021.

The recount will be open to the public on Nov. 20, at 9 a.m. in the Brooklyn Annex at 200 Fulton Street, Suite 103.

“The purpose of the recount is to verify the ballots already counted in this race. In accordance with Idaho law (Idaho Code 34-2305), ballots will be recounted in plain view of the candidates or their representatives,” according to the notice. “The Attorney General’s Office is the final authority on any questions that arise during the recount.”

According to Idaho Code 34-2313, the recount will start with a “testing phase,” where a “random selection of ballots will be tallied by hand and compared to the results from the electronic tabulating system. The sample size will be either 100 ballots or 5% of the ballots cast for the office, whichever is greater.”

There will then be a counting phase, where “if the comparison shows that the electronic tabulating system is accurate, the remaining ballots will be recounted using the automated system. If the system is found to be inaccurate, the remaining ballots will be recounted by hand.”

After the results are declared, any candidate wishing to appeal the results has 24 hours to submit an appeal to the district court.

In a statement to EastIdahoNews.com, Bielby says she is in full support of the recount.

“As far as the recount goes, I believe being transparent in any election is the correct thing to do, and I am in total agreement on this, as I believe we all are,” Bielby says.

Glodowski says she requested the recount in an effort for full transparency and because all of the candidates agreed to it.

“The three candidates (whose) vote counts were very close, all agreed a recount was the reasonable thing to do. Since I was the closest, being one vote difference, I decided to request it,” says Glodowski. “I fully support all three candidates. What’s best for the community is my main focus, and I believe this will help bring some closure to many.”

Questions regarding the recount process or results should be directed to the Idaho Attorney General’s Office.

“The Lemhi County Clerk’s Office will provide support and cooperation throughout the process to ensure transparency and accuracy,” the notice states.

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