W.Va. delegate race ends in tie

By PAMELA BRUST
PARKERSBURG — In what veteran election officials are calling a first for Wood County, the primary canvass has ended in a tie for the third position on the Democratic ticket for 10th District House of Delegates.

Three individuals are nominated by each party to run in the November general election for the district seats.

“For the first time, the two candidates who were the closest in numbers after election night are tied. Election night, Iris McCrady had 3,280 votes and Tim Fittro had 3,277. After the 190 ballots were added in from the canvass, the candidates ended with a tie, both having 3,304 votes. Of the 190 added in following the canvass, 183 were overruled provisional ballots and seven were absentee, which were received by the start of the canvass and so are eligible to be counted,” said Wood County Clerk Jamie Six.

The county commissioners, acting as the board of canvass, completed their ruling of provisional ballots on Tuesday, but the hand count is expected to continue into Wednesday. The board cannot declare canvass results until that hand count is completed. McCrady picked up 24 additional votes and Fittro gained 27 after the canvass count.

Once the commission is able to declare the results, a 48-hour period kicks in during which any candidate on the ballot can request a recount. The candidate making the request must post a $300 bond.

“Once that happens the other person in that race has 24 hours to also post a bond to protect their interests. The recount request can include only certain precincts, or everything and can be stopped at any time,” Six said. The $300 bond only covers the initial costs, the candidate making the recount request is billed for the entire cost when it’s completed.

If neither candidate asks for a recount, the board certifies the results and the tie would go to the Democratic executive committee for a decision.

Walt Auvil, with the Democrat executive committee, said there is no set procedure to follow.

“My first step will be to call down to the state Democratic executive committee and see if they can provide any guidance on how to proceed. If not, I guess we’re on our own. We are required to do these things, but they don’t provide us a way in which we’re supposed to do it,” Auvil said.

Fittro and McCrady said they don’t contemplate requesting a recount.

“I didn’t know how it would all come out. I was just waiting to hear the results when Jamie Six called to let me know. I was surprised with that many votes it came out a tie. He explained it would go to the Democratic executive committee,” McCrady said. “I am not going to ask for a recount unless the other candidate does, so if he doesn’t ask I guess we’ll let the committee decide. I would hope they would look at our merits and what is best,” she said.

“I’m definitely surprised. I was prepared for the outcome either way, but not for a tie. I have given it some thought, but at this point I’m inclined not to ask for a recount. I think it would be very expensive to pick up one vote. After sitting in on the process, I feel the actual recount would probably not really change the outcome. I would still give it some more consideration. But at this point, I would be inclined to just let them turn it over to the committee,” Fittro said.

Neither Fittro nor McCrady are members of the Democrat executive committee.