https://triblive.com/local/westmoreland/two-write-in-candidates-win-their-way-on-the-southmoreland-school-board-ballot-this-fall/
Two write-in candidates win their way on the Southmoreland School Board ballot this fall
Two write-in candidates won nominations for seats on the Southmoreland School Board, ousting one incumbent and putting the current board president’s position in jeopardy this fall.
Westmoreland County elections officials Monday approved a precertification of the results of the May 21 primary. Barring any court challenges, those vote totals will become official June 10.
The totals included more than 4,400 write-in votes cast in the Southmoreland School Board race. Four incumbents were among the five candidates on the ballot seeking five board seats. According to the official results, about 58% of all votes cast in the Southmoreland School Board race were for write-in candidates.
Incumbent Ken Alt lost his board seat.
“I guess some people were not satisfied with a vote I participated in,” Alt said, referring to a controversial decision this year to outsource classroom special education aides.
Write-in candidates Kristin Smith and Michelle Williams finished in the top five in both the Democratic and Republican primaries to secure spots on the November ballot.
Smith was the top vote-getter among Democrats and Williams finished fifth, 36 votes ahead of Alt. Incumbents Jason Pawlikosky, James W. Beistel Jr. and current board President Aimee Love secured nominations on the Democratic ticket.
Smith topped the Republican ballot, and Williams finished third in the GOP primary. Pawlikosky, Beistel Jr. and former board member Catherine Fike secured Republican nominations.
Those results mean seven candidates will seek five available seats on the nine-person board in November. Smith, Williams, Pawlikosky and Beistel Jr. will appear as both Democratic and Republican candidates.
County Elections Bureau Director Beth Lechman said Smith and Williams were the only write-ins to defeat candidates whose names appeared on the ballot this spring.
“It happens, but it is unusual,” Lechman said.
Write-in winners are not rare involving races where there are no other candidates on the ballot, she said.
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