LINO LAKES, Minn. – (Nov. 21, 2013) – When the votes were counted on Election Day, the closest race came out of Lino Lakes where Bill Kusterman defeated Melissa Maher by 2 votes to claim a spot on the city council.With the margin being less than one half of one percent, a publicly funded recount was triggered as soon as Maher submitted a formal recount request to the city. “The reason that I decided to go ahead with the recount was just because the vote was so close,” Maher explained. “I feel like I owe it to my supporters, I owe it to myself and the fact that it’s available, if I didn’t take advantage of it, I’d consider that irresponsible.”
The recount was held last week at Lino Lakes City Hall and before the counting began Maher further explained her expectations and reasoning for the recount. “To be honest, I don’t necessarily expect the vote to change, and that’s OK,” Maher said. “I just want to make sure I follow this through as far as I could in order to ensure to myself that I did everything I possibly could to be elected; that’s why I ran.”
During the two and a half hours of counting ballots only one ballot needed to be examined by election officials. This ballot included a vote for both Maher and Kusterman, as it was an elect two situation, but also a vote for a third candidate that had been crossed out. The recount officials determined the voter’s intent was to vote for Maher and Kusterman therefore both individuals picked up one vote. No other ballots were questioned or challenged meaning the outcome stood as a two vote victory for Kusterman.
Maher vowed that this is not the last time Lino Lakes voters will see her name on the ballot. “I will continue to be involved like I said, even just running has already started some change, and I am so excited about that,” she said. “What I will do is just continue to attend city council meetings and be a vocal supporter of the citizens and we’ll just see where it goes from there, and in two years I’ll run again.”
Kusterman will begin his four year term on the council in January along with Rob Rafferty who was reelected to the other council seat.
