Wyse Retains School Board Seat By Nine Votes

Janet Wyse will retain her seat on the Archbold Area School Board, and Bruce Hesterman won a coin toss to remain a Ridgeville Township Trustee.

Those are the results after the boards of elections in Fulton and Henry counties held official counts of the Nov. 3 general election this week. Fulton County conducted its count Monday, Nov. 16; the Henry County count was Tuesday, Nov. 17.

In the Ridgeville Township Trustee race, Hesterman had 222 votes on election night compared to Larry Wendt’s 221. Both were incumbents.

When provisional and paper ballots (which aren’t counted on election night) were added Tuesday, both finished with 223 votes.

A coin toss determined Hesterman as the winner.

“To be tied like that, there’s no winner or loser,” Hesterman said.

Roger Miller, a former trustee, had the largest vote total.

“Maybe I should be heading to a casino,” Hesterman said jokingly.

School Board

Because the Archbold Area School District extends into Henry County, registered voters in Ridgeville and Freedom townships who reside in the school district vote on school matters.

Their votes are added to those of Fulton County voters in the Archbold district.

Once the election night count was complete, Jon Lugbill and Phil Nofziger, newcomers to school board, were each elected by comfortable margins.

However, it was a sevenway race for three seats. When Fulton County was counted on Nov. 3, Roel Galvan lead Janet Wyse by 11 votes, 796 to 785.

When Henry County votes were added election night, the lead switched, and Wyse led Galvan by 12 votes, 985 to 973.

When provisional and absentee ballots were counted in Fulton County, Galvan picked up four votes on Wyse, but Wyse still held the lead, 990 to 982.

Four provisional ballots and three paper ballots in Ridgeville Township, and one provisional ballot in Freedom Township, had to be counted. Mathematically, it was still possible for Galvan to tie.

But when Henry County elections officials finished the counting, Wyse received one additional vote. Galvan received none, making the final total 991 to 982, a margin of nine.

"I'm thrilled to continue on the board," said Wyse. "It will be a little challenging, but I look forward to taking on that challenge.

"It should be an interesting four years."

Recounts

Both the Archbold Area School Board and the Ridgeville Township Trustee races will be subject to automatic recounts, according to Ohio law.

An automatic recount in a school board race is triggered when the margin of victory is equal to or less than one-half of one percent (0.5%) of the total votes cast on the race.