Schuetter calls for special election over voter disenfranchisement

Democratic challenger Wayne Schuetter challenged Mayor Terry Seitz to take part in a special election Monday at the Jasper Train Depot. Schuetter and Seitz tied for the mayoral spot with 1,856 votes each during the November election. The recount commission threw a vote for Schuetter out last week handing the election to Seitz.
Democratic challenger Wayne Schuetter challenged Mayor Terry Seitz to take part in a special election Monday at the Jasper Train Depot. Schuetter and Seitz tied for the mayoral spot with 1,856 votes each during the November election. The recount commission threw a vote for Schuetter out last week handing the election to Seitz.
Mayor Terry Seitz’s original challenge to the tie decision in the 2015 Jasper Mayoral tie included a demand for a special election.

Today, after losing the election to a single vote being cast out due to what largely amounts to a clerical error, challenger Wayne Schuetter asked that Mayor Seitz agree to the special election that he originally demanded in his lawsuit.

The ballot thrown out last week was done so due to it not having the required signatures on it prior to it going out to the voter. Ballots that are used for absentee voters and by the travel board are signed by representatives of each party to ensure the ballot has not been marked on prior to being sent out. Story here.

Schuetter made the request during a special meeting held at the Jasper Train Depot Monday morning.

“As many of you know, I taught U.S. History for many years and I often was asked by my students if history repeats itself,” Schuetter read from his statement. “I would answer that history does not repeat itself. But there are many times when events of similar characteristics and cause occur.”

He said the events last week in the courtroom were similar to events thoughout the history of the United States. The tie and the subsequent decision to disenfranchise a voter based on a clerical error made Jasper look bad, he added.

“I also could not help feel that this was a case of denying a person their right to vote and using the rationality that we had to because of the law,” Schuetter continued. “Such and argument has been used throughout our history to deny the right to vote to people because of race, gender and other factors.”

Schuetter can appeal the recount commission’s decision to throw out a ballot due to it not being properly vetted before going to a voter. If he does, special Judge Dean Sobecki would rule on it but Schuetter has the right to appeal it further if Sobecki agrees with the commission’s decision also.

He never announced any intentions to appeal the decision but did say that the law is flawed and needs to be changed. He said he was willing to be the poster child for the case to change the law.

He plans on making the final decision on whether or not to proceed with the appeal by next Tuesday, December 29. “That gives him [Seitz] time to think it [special election] over,” Schuetter said.

According to Schuetter, the special election is a positive and appropriate way to resolve the issue.

If Seitz agrees, the election board and Judge Sobecki would also have to agree. Schuetter proposed the election take place within the first two weeks of January and that it be open to all legally registered voters of Jasper; not just those who voted in the original election.

Schuetter also asked that the election be paid for by both parties in a show of bipartisan support.

“The results of this special election would be final,” Schuetter said. “However, in the highly unlikely, but not impossible event that the special election would end in another tie, I would propose that we both agree that the decision will not be made by others, or a shooting match, but rather, by a simple flip of the coin.”

According to Mayor Sietz office, he is consulting with his legal counsel and will likely issue a statement soon.

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