It’s a tie.
Tuesday’s unofficial election results have Haines Borough Assembly candidate Margaret Friedenauer as the clear winner of one seat, but candidates Tresham Gregg and Jerry Lapp are locked in a dead heat for the second.
Lapp and Gregg each garnered 411 votes, while Friedenauer won 629.
Like Friedenauer, school board candidate Inez Gross was the clear choice of voters. Gross garnered 651 votes, compared to Mike Wilson’s 578 and Sara Chapell’s 558. Gross’ win earned her one of two three-year seats on the board. Following a canvass of outstanding ballots, the board candidate with the least votes will get a two-year seat.
According to results posted on the borough’s website, up to 34 votes could still be counted: 14 unverified questioned ballots, nine absentee-by-fax ballots, nine absentee-by-mail ballots that were sent out but haven’t yet been returned, and two ballots not accepted by the voting machine.
Clerk Julie Cozzi said some of those ballots (like the ones rejected by the machine, and the faxed ballots) will definitely be counted, but with the questioned ballots, that involves checking with the Division of Elections to make sure the person is registered to vote in Haines and the ballot can be counted.
The outstanding ballots will be counted at 6 p.m. at Tuesday’s election canvass in assembly chambers.
Though Lapp won more votes than Gregg in the town and highway precincts (Lapp received 296 and 33, compared to Gregg’s 274 and 30, respectively), Gregg beat Lapp in the absentee votes 107 to 82.
Gregg was unsure of why he attracted the absentee vote. “I don’t know, really, but it seems that more of those (voters) that had to go somewhere at this time cared enough about the future of Haines to vote for me,” he said.
Gregg said he was surprised by the tie. “I think it’s amazing. Jerry Lapp is a well-known, long-time political person, whereas I’m kind of an unknown candidate who hasn’t had a whole lot of community input on things,” Gregg said. “To be in a dead heat with Jerry is pretty neat.”
“Regardless of the outcome, I am very happy that the citizens of Haines are now taking more notice in how their government operates, and more fully recognizing the need for their voices to be heard,” he added.
But it’s unclear if Haines residents are actually taking “more notice” in how their government operates, as voter turnout was 36 percent. That’s compared to 47 percent (2014), 45 percent (2013), 39 percent (2012), 53 percent (2011) and 49 percent (2010).
Lapp said he was disappointed in the low turnout. “It’s an off year. People aren’t paying attention; a lot of people don’t care, I guess,” he said. “I expected a little better turnout than this. But it will be okay.”
A self-described conservative candidate, Lapp said he understands that absentee ballots usually lean liberal, so he isn’t holding out hope that the uncounted ballots will carry him to victory. “It’ll be what it is,” he said. “Maybe it is time for somebody else to get to see what it is like.”
Friedenauer said Wednesday she wasn’t expecting to win by such a large margin. “There was no way to call this race. I never tried to figure out how this would play out,” she said.
She attributed her win less to her stance on specific issues than to her general approach to decision-making.
“When I was talking to people and campaigning, there was a lot of talk about issues and what do you feel about this and that. But then there were also just people who I even disagree with who said they supported me because they thought maybe someone of my generation would bring a different perspective,” she said. “That seemed to resonate with a lot of people, that they thought I could be thoughtful and that I could listen to people.”
While she did win by a large margin, Friedenauer said she is making it her challenge to remember that there were still many people who didn’t vote for her, and that she is responsible for representing them, too. “I have to remember them as well,” she said.
After the election canvass, new assembly members will be sworn in to their seats at the Oct. 27 meeting.