A southern Indiana mayor has been re-elected by one vote after a recount, but the drama for Jasper Republican Terry Seitz isn’t over.
In a dramatic race that’s captured national attention, a recount commission took a single vote away from democratic challenger Wayne Schuetter giving Seitz the election. The commission deemed one absentee ballot was invalid based on the lack of a signature.
Schuetter’s request for a special election was shot down by the incumbent Seitz. His next step is to pursue an appeal of the recount based on the fact that one missing set of initials disenfranchised a voter, thus rendering the ballot void.
He says he’s willing to take his case all the way to the Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, the Indiana Democratic Party has gotten involved. On Monday, party chairman John Zody submitted a public records request to Governor Mike Pence’s office centered around Department of Environmental Management Employee Samantha DeWester, who assisted in the recount process.
The reasons why a member of the Pence administration was involved in a mayoral recount remain murky.
Zody says this is an issue of concern because the employee’s role at IDEM is funded with taxpayer money.
“We have to know as taxpayers what his employees are doing, and she is a senior official in his administration working at the department of environmental management that regularly does business with local governments,” Zody says.
Zody’s inquiry included questions about whether DeWester’s position with IDEM is full-time, whether her role in the recount would have been prohibited by state ethics or agency laws, and how DeWester arranged for the time-off to participate. Zody is also requesting to see time-sheets and correspndence.
The governor is legally obligated to acknowledge the request within 24 hours. His office could not be reached for comment.
