Provisional ballot tabulation trims Cook’s lead to 11 votes in 49th District
Barbara Miller/Observer-Reporter
Elections director Larry Spahr, left, assistant elections director Melanie Ostrander and Russell Giancola, representing the Republican Party, process provisional ballots Tuesday in the Washington County elections office.
Barbara Miller
Now that the 2018 midterm elections are over, the Washington County elections office staff is preparing bundles of blank provisional ballots to be sent to each voting precinct for next year. Pictured is election technician Troy Breese.
Two weeks after Election Day, a batch of provisional ballots added seven votes to Democrat Steve Toprani’s total, but incumbent Republican state Rep. Bud Cook added three votes to lead by 11 in the race for the 49th District seat.
Combined totals from Washington and Fayette counties, as of Tuesday, stand at Cook, 9,945, and Toprani, 9,934 out of nearly 20,000 ballots cast in that contest.
Cook could have filed a court challenge to the Washington County Elections Board’s decision to count provisional ballots not determined to have a “fatal flaw.”
A 4:30 p.m. Monday deadline passed without Cook going to court, so those seven provisional ballots were opened and counted Tuesday morning. However, three other provisional ballots were found, and they all went to Cook.
Cook’s lead after the counting of uncontested provisional ballots Friday had been 15, but Republican Party attorney Russell Giancola emerged smiling from the tabulation room as his candidate’s lead, though shrunken, held.
“It’s a beautiful day,” Giancola said. Cook was not present in the Washington County elections office, and he did not reply to a request for comment.
Neither was challenger Toprani nor an attorney representing him at the elections office.
Asked if he intends to concede or file with Common Pleas Court for a recount, Toprani replied via Facebook, “I’m awaiting the canvassing.”
The election canvass board, which compiles official results for elections board members to sign and certify, was expected to complete its task Tuesday afternoon.
Elections Director Larry Spahr called it “preparing the official records which have to be kept in perpetuity.” Any local demand for a recount in the midterm election must be filed by the close of business Monday in Washington County Court, Spahr said.