After local elections, no candidates seek recounts in Linn, Johnson counties

CEDAR RAPIDS — No candidates on the ballot in Nov. 7 city and school elections in Linn and Johnson counties requested recounts, according to county auditors.

Two races came down to just a few votes. Candidates had until Nov. 17 — three days after county supervisors canvassed results — to ask for recounts. No one did, so the winners stand.

In Solon, city council member Daniel O’Neil narrowly unseated incumbent Steve Stange in the race for mayor, receiving 191 votes — nine more than Stange.

In an at-large Alburnett school board race for three open seats, newcomer Mary Bauercamper defeated incumbent Yon Abel by just two votes to secure the third seat. She received 202 votes total — about 14 percent of ballots cast.

“I’m kind of surprised (by no challenges) but that’s the nature of it,” said Matt Warfield, Linn County’s deputy auditor. “It’s up to the candidates.”

Write-in votes

In several races around the Corridor, not enough candidates filed to run for the seats open in the Nov. 7 election. That means winners were to be determined through write-in votes.

Warfield said to his knowledge, everybody has accepted. It is up to a city to notify the county auditor if a write-in winner has declined.

If the person written in accepts the role, they wouldn’t take office until Jan. 2 or 3, depending on when the jurisdiction has as a holiday.

Linn County Auditor Joel Miller said a write-in candidate would have to take the oath of office within 10 days of Jan. 1, and if they decline, the incumbent is held over unless that seat is filled or the incumbent resigns.

If filling a vacancy, a candidate is sworn in after the election, as was recently done with Iowa City Council member Mazahir Salih. The council had appointed Andrew Dunn to fill the at-large council seat after Janice Weiner was elected to the Iowa Senate and resigned. Salih was sworn in to fill the at-large seat. Dunn was elected to the District C seat.

With cities, if the top write-in vote-getter declines to serve, the second-place, write-in candidate is asked to fill the seat, Warfield said. If both decline, then it is considered an open seat, so the council must either appoint someone to fill it or call a special election.

For school boards, if the top write-in candidate does not accept, it’s considered an open seat. The board makes an appointment to fill it, unless voters petition to call for a special election.

In Linn County, if all of the top write-in vote-getters accept, the winners will be:

Johnson County vacancies

In Johnson County, at least two vacancies exist for Swisher mayor and for a Lone Tree at-large council seat after write-in candidates declined those seats, according to Bogdana Velterean, deputy auditor of elections.

Those city councils now have to decide whether to appoint someone or decide the winner in a special election, Velterean said.

The only other Johnson County city seat that needed to be filled by write-in votes was for a Shueyville council seat., where Chris Lacy was the top vote-getter.

If the Swisher and Lone Tree councils opt for a special election, the cities need to give the auditor’s office at least 32 days notice. An election would likely be held in early 2024. If the councils appoint someone to a seat, city residents can petition for a special election. Cities would pay for those elections, at a cost of about $5,000, Velterean said.

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