An absentee ballot that reportedly was lost for a week after the Nov. 3 general election has been counted by the Allegheny County Elections Department, creating a tie for one of Bellevue’s most hotly contested council seats.

It could be some time before anyone knows who is the winner of the second of two seats in Bellevue’s first ward. Incumbent Republican Kathy Coder is the clear winner of the first seat, while Democrat Susan Schafer was far behind all candidates in votes.

Stuck in the middle -- now with 210 votes apiece -- are Republican David Piet and Democratic incumbent Jane Braunlich, who was ahead in votes recorded election night.

Braunlich received eight write-in votes, which were discounted by the elections department because her name was on the ballot. That brought her vote total to 210.

Piet was recorded as receiving a total of 209 votes at the two first ward polls. No absentee ballots were recorded in either district. The later-discovered ballot contained a vote for Piet, which brought him into a tie with Braunlich for the second available seat.

According to a records specialist at the elections department, department personnel were aware of the existence of an absentee ballot in District 1 of Bellevue’s first ward. The ballot had been recorded when received at the county office, and it was delivered to the District 1 judge of elections along with other materials necessary for conducting voting at the Roofers Union polling place.

The records specialist said that judge of elections Mary Miklos was contacted several times when the ballot was not returned to the county office. She said that Miklos, a Republican, eventually discovered the envelope under the seat in her car.

The elections department confirmed that the ballot finally reached the downtown office on Nov. 9, brought by the judge of election’s husband, Charles Miklos, who was a candidate on the ballot for two Northgate School Board seats.

A question regarding whether the ballot can be counted now is created by state law. The elections code mandates that absentee ballots be opened at the polling place on the night of the election and the candidates or their representatives given the opportunity to challenge the validity of both the ballot and the voter’s eligibility.

Should the vote be upheld and the tie between Braunlich and Piet let stand, the election will be decided by a “casting of lots” at the county office, similar to rolling dice, with the highest scoring candidate named the winner.

According to the elections department, that could be done around Dec. 17.
unity to challenge trhe validity of the ballot