Let’s clarify this
In an election marked by mistakes, The Sheet tries to make things simple.
The election of 2016 has certainly been a remarkable one, both on the national and local level. Mono County, not to be left out of the fray, has played its part in an election cycle that threatens to leave voters disenfranchised and results contested.
Among the most grievous mistakes was the “proofreading error” that Mono County Clerk Bob Musil made on the Mammoth Town Council ballot, telling voters to pick three, not two, candidates running for Town Council. There are only two seats up for election on Mammoth’s Council.
The Elections Commission then, after weighing the options, decided to run a separate ballot for the Town Council alongside the June 7 primary election. Mammoth voters were sent a separate ballot for Town Council.
Further confusing the situation, the Fifty Center advised on Thursday, May 26 that voters should not return their original ballots, leading some readers to throw away the original ballots mailed to them. In truth, voters must fill out their primary ballots and then subsequently fill out their special ballots for Town Council. The Times reported that it regrets the error.
“I jokingly told my husband to throw his in the fire,” said District Five Supervisor Stacy Corless, who took it upon herself to correct much of the misinformation by posting clear, concise instructions on the Mono County website.
Further compounding the concerns about the ballot, this week, voters realized that there was no “pro” argument for Measure G printed in the sample ballot sent to voters in the Mammoth Unified School District. Measure G would extend the current parcel tax for an additional five years. “It was left off of the sample ballot because of a proofing mistake,” said Bob Musil. “It does not affect the actual ballot, because the actual ballot doesn’t have the arguments in favor or against.”
