subscribesubscriber servicescontact usabout ussite mapBuy a Classified
Sat, Nov 21 2009 

Published: November 04, 2009 11:31 pm    print this story  

ROYALTON: Nieman wins re-election as highway superintendent on a recount

By Bill Wolcott
E-mail Bill

Lockport Union-Sun & Journal

ROYALTON It was a reversal of fortunes, Royalton-style.

Confusion reigned in the hotly-contested race for superintendent of highways after the polls closed Tuesday.

An error was made somewhere along the way, and it was reported that Carson Kelley beat incumbent Terry W. Nieman.

Nieman actually won 901-705.

Poll watchers discovered the mistake was made in District 6, the Terry’s Corners Fire Hall, but not before radio stations reported Kelley won.

It was inspector error, according to Scott Kiedrowski Niagara County Republican Commissioner.

Mistake pinpointed

Scott Wymczak, secretary of the town Republican Committee, pinpointed the mistake happened in District 6 after he served as a poll-watcher in Wolcottsville. Nieman and Kelley had poll watchers in each of the six districts.

“We were surprised when we heard news report that Terry lost,” Wymczak said.

“I was kookin’,” said Donna Nieman, the superintendent’s wife and chairman of the Republican Committee. “We thought we won, and didn’t win. Imagine when we saw that on the computer!... I don’t know how that happened. Inspectors call in numbers, and the little boxes are hard to read. There can be human error.”

GOP poll-watcher Jennifer Bieber and her daughter were at Terry’s Corners and correctly reported 139 votes for Nieman and 133 for Kelley. During a huddle at the Nieman home, Wymczak went on the computer and found that the original Board of Elections report gave Nieman only 18 votes.

“Where the snafu happened, I’m not sure,” Wymczak said.

Donna Nieman tried to called the Board of Elections and left messages, but by that time the office had closed. Kiedrowski learned of the mistake, went back to the office, opened suitcases and made the correction.

“You’ve got to commend Board of Elections for their fast results. It didn’t take five minutes to make the correction,” Wymczak said. “The computer read-off slip was right. It was a human error.”

Ballot scanners

The towns of Royalton and Hartland experimented with ballot scanners for the first time, but the error “had nothing to do with the devices,” Kiedrowski said.

When the polls close, the numbers are phoned in or faxed to the Board of Elections. It’s unusual, but sometimes mistakes are made when inspectors are hurried, according to Kiedrowski. “Nothing that comes in election night is official,” Kiedrowski said.

Nieman won on the Republican line. Kelley had the endorsement of the Democrat, Independence, Conservative and Working Families lines.

Poll-watcher permits

Candidates apply to the Board of Elections for poll-watcher permits, and certificates are handed out. The watchers are given a list of people who have voted and can call potential supporters who have not voted and urge them to come to the polling place.

When the polls are closed and the doors are locked, the watcher is allowed to wait for the final results and call them in to the candidates’ headquarters.

Until absentee ballots are counted and final inspections are complete, the results are not official. That may take three weeks.

Voters were not totally comfortable with the new voting machines.

“In one sense it’s a littler easier, but it’s not as confidential, especially if they (inspectors) help,” Donna Nieman said, “You get little more privacy with other machine.”

The only district Nieman lost was District 4, Wolcottsville.

Contact reporter Bill Wolcott at 439-9222, ext. 6246.

print this story  



autoconx
Premier Guide
Find a business

Walking Fingers
Maps, Menus, Store hours, Coupons, and more...
Premier Guide
Featured Jobs


INSURANCE - CSR with Personal Lines exp., for Lockport area. $25,000 salary. 433-7504...>MORE

Auto detailer
Auto Detailer full time, exp. pref. Apply at David Chevy Buick Pontiac, 10225 Nia Falls Blvd. or 298-9700 ask for Frank....>MORE

RN
JOB FAIR!!
Thurs., Nov 19, 2009, 11:00-5:00
RECRUITING FOR
FT Physical Therapist
RN’s
LPN’s
...>MORE

Grill Cook
GRILL COOK & Waitresses, exp only, full time. Apply within 2021 Main St. Nia Falls ...>MORE

Health Care
Health Care. ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES/LAUNDRY SUPERVISORS. Excellent full-time day and evening opportunities. Experienced,...>MORE

DRIVER
Driver, light pick up & delivery, need own car, no WNY, valid NYS driver lic., good pay 694-1251...>MORE

PHONE SALES
PHONE sales, great pay, exp. a plus, nice NT office, FT/PT, hrly. +, Pete or Mike, 694-1251...>MORE

Driver
DRIVERS – CDL A
TEAM DRIVERS NEEDED FOR
DEDICATED RUNS
No touch freight............Good miles
...>MORE

Maintenance Technician
MAINTENANCE Technician, FT, exp. needed in electrical, plumbing, heating & cooling, Apply in person bet. 9 & 5 at 6751 ...>MORE

BILINGUAL PHONE INTERVIEWER
Bilingual Telephone interviewer. Surveys for insurance policy review. Spanish/English a Must. ft/pt & Sat. No sales/coll...>MORE

See all ads

Feature Autos

1996 Ford Escort
FORD 1996 Escort 4 cyl, 2 dr, exc cond in & out, no rust, 1 owner, only 61k orig mi, $2195. 523-7102...>MORE

Ford 2001 Taurus
Ford 2001 Taurus Station wagon, well maintained, 112,000 miles Siver ext. 4 dr, auto, asking $2800/BO. 716-772-2454....>MORE

Monte Carlo Z24 1998
MONTE CARLO Z24, 1998, runs good, average miles, excellent shape, $1800 , 990-2303...>MORE

1999 Dodge Caravan
DODGE 1999 Caravan, 33, V6, auto, A/C, 99k miles, good cond., runs great. $1950. 525-7796...>MORE

Ford 1999 Windstar
FORD 1999 WIndstar, LX, fully loaded, 38k miles, $3850. Excellent condition 860-4747...>MORE

Ford 1998 F150
FORD 1998 F150, standard cab, 4wd, excellent shape, $3495.
716-525-2889
...>MORE

VW 2001 Beetle
VW 2001 Beetle, loaded, GLX turbo, exc. cond, all service records, fun to drive, blue bk $5600, take best offer, 990-06...>MORE

Junior Accountant
Auto Detailer full time, exp. pref. Apply at David Chevy Buick Pontiac, 10225 Nia Falls Blvd. or 298-9700 ask for Frank....>MORE

Dodge 1993 Dakota 4x4
FORD 1999 WIndstar, LX, fully loaded, 38k miles, $3850. Excellent condition 860-4747...>MORE

Yamaha 1982, 750
YAMAHA 1982, 750, runs perfect,
low mileage, $895.
716-525-2889
...>MORE

See all ads

See all ads


 

Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.CNHI Classified Advertising NetworkCNHI News Service
Associated Press content © 2009. All rights reserved. AP content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Our site is powered by Zope and our Internet Yellow Pages site is powered by PremierGuide.
Some parts of our site may require you to download the Flash Player Plugin.
View our Privacy Policy
Advertiser index