Board reviews Hatton election results

HATTON – The Adams County Canvassing Board was set to meet Monday Nov. 15, to review ballots in which write-in candidates appear to be winning three contested races in this small town of 104 residents.

Due to upgrades at the press plant, the newspaper went to press before the board met.

Last week, county Auditor Heidi Hunt confirmed write-in candidates are leading the races for mayor, and Town Council positions Nos. 1 and 3.

According to Elections Administrator Jacque Laird, three write-in declarations have been received in connection with the local races: Justine Pherigo for mayor, Rhea Isaac for council position No. 1 and Ignacio Mendoza for council position No. 3.

In the race for mayor, incumbent Dell C Palmer has 6 votes, while 17 votes have been cast for write-in candidate(s).

For Council Position No. 1, incumbent James Earl Van Patten has 5 votes, while 18 have been cast for write-in candidate(s).

For Council Position No. 3, incumbent Linda Palmer has 6 votes and write-in candidates(s) have 17. There are also two council positions, Nos. 4 and 5, which are apparently vacant, and did not attract any candidates during the regular filing period May 17-21 or the special filing period August 16-18.

The Monday review was expected to determine if the write-in ballots were cast for Pherigo, Isaac and Mendoza.

“We will be conducting a write-in review to tally the write-in votes,” Laird said. “We will release those results after the canvassing board reviews them.”

Write-ins not cast for the declared candidates will not be counted.

Election records indicate Pherigo was elected to Council Position No. 1 for a four-year term in November 2019.

Also in 2019, Brittany Raye Baldwin was elected mayor, in the Nov. 5 general election for a four-year term. County records are not clear how or when Baldwin or Pherigo vacated their offices.

The Canvassing Board is set to meet again Nov. 23 to certify the Nov. 2 general election results.

This is not the first time in recent history a write-in campaign has been waged here.

In 2015, Terry D. Quandt tied with write-in Candidate Kimberly Ford for Town Council Position No. 5 with 10 votes each.