Keokuk, IA – Unofficial election-night results posted on Lee County's website showed Chris Lindner winning one of four seats on the Keokuk School Board.
An error was discovered the next day (Wednesday, September 14) in how the numbers were entered.
The result was Lindner losing his seat and Mike Beaird remaining on the Keokuk School Board.
Election Night Results
John Davis - 394 (14.1%)
Sandy Stark [Inc] - 376 (13.5%)
Mark Pfaffe [Inc] - 367 (13.2%)
Chris Lindner [Inc] - 353 (12.7%)
Gary Seyb, Jr. - 350 (12.6%)
Cheri Kelly - 328 (11.8%)
Mike Beaird [Inc] - 308 (11.1%)
Barb Carlson - 301 (10.8%)
New Results as of September 15
Mark Pfaffe [Inc] - 475 (16.9%)
Mike Beaird [Inc] - 422 (15.0%)
Sandy Stark [Inc] - 383 (13.7%)
John Davis - 368 (13.1%)
Barb Carlson - 358 (12.7%)
Chris Lindner [Inc] - 317 (11.3%)
Gary Seyb, Jr. - 310 (11.0%)
Cheri Kelly - 169 (6.0%)
The website error has prompted Lindner to ask for a recount.
The Lee County Board has granted his request.
County Auditor Anne Pedersen expects the results to hold, though, since the error involved the county's website.
"The problem was not was with the machines, the problem was not with the polls," says Pedersen, "the problem was not how the election officials reported the results to us. We know exactly what happened."
Lindner and fourth place finisher John Davis must now select someone to represent them during the recount process.
Pedersen says Lindner has already selected Keokuk School Board member Roger Kokemuller as his rep.
The two representatives must then appoint a third, neutral party.
The three-person panel will decide when to hold the recount and how it should be done, by hand or by machine.
Pedersen says Lindner had to pay $100 dollars to request the recount since he lost by more than 50 votes.
That money is refundable if the results change.
Pedersen says the last recount conducted by her office was in June 2008.
Janet Fife-LaFrenz defeated Matt Pflug in the Democratic Primary for the District Five seat on the Board of Supervisors by less than ten votes.
The recount did not affect the final outcome.