Wednesday afternoon update from the College Station school district website regarding the board of trustees tie vote:
There were seven provisional ballots cast from CSISD voting precincts. These ballots will be brought before the Ballot Board after a six-day waiting period in order for those who cast the ballot to prove their legitimacy. The ballots will then be processed by Brazos County Voter Registrar Kristy Roe and her staff. Their findings will be turned over to the county’s Ballot Board, which is made up of two representatives from the local Republican Party and two from the Democratic Party. Those officials then will review the results.
In addition, there are two overseas ballots still out. For an overseas ballot to be valid, it must be postmarked by November 3, and received by Monday, November 9, at 5 p.m.
CSISD Board Policy BBB(local) says: “In accordance with Education Code 11.057, the Board has chosen to continue determining the results of Board member elections by plurality rather than by majority.”
In a plurality election, Texas Election Code says the following in regard to a tie vote:
TIE VOTE. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (f), (g), or (i), in an election requiring a plurality vote, if two or more candidates for the same office tie for the number of votes required to be elected, a second election to fill the office shall be held.
(b) Not later than the fifth day after the date the automatic recount required by Subsection (i) is completed or the final canvass following the automatic recount is completed, if applicable, the authority responsible for ordering the first election shall order the second election. The second election shall be held not earlier than the 20th day or later than the 30th day after the date the automatic recount required by Subsection (i) is completed or the final canvass following the automatic recount is completed, if applicable.
(c) The names of the tying candidates only shall be printed on the ballot for the second election. Write-in votes are not permitted. If either of the candidates is a party nominee, the title of the office shall be listed on the ballot in a vertical column with the name of each candidate listed below the office title with each candidate’s political party alignment next to the name.
(d) The order of the candidates’ names on the ballot shall be determined by a drawing in accordance with Section 52.094.
(e) Notice of the second election shall be given in accordance with Chapter 4 except that a notice under Section 4.003(a)(2) or (b) must be posted not later than the 15th day before election day.
(f) The tying candidates may agree to cast lots to resolve the tie. The agreement must be filed with the authority responsible for ordering the election. That authority or, if the authority is a body, the body’s presiding officer, shall supervise the casting of lots.
(g) A tying candidate may resolve the tie by filing with the authority described by Subsection (f) a written statement of withdrawal signed and acknowledged by the candidate. On receipt of the statement of withdrawal, the remaining candidate is the winner, and a second election or casting of lots is not held.
(h) This section does not apply to elective offices of the executive department specified by Article IV, Section 1, of the Texas Constitution.
(i) If the tie vote is not resolved under Subsection (f) or (g), an automatic recount shall be conducted in accordance with Chapter 216 before the second election is held. If the recount resolves the tie, the second election is not held.
Wednesday morning update:
According to College Station school district communications director Chuck Glenewinkel, the mail-in ballot reference last night is confirmed to not be from a CSISD precinct, meaning the only ballots left to be verified and counted are the seven provisional ballots from CSISD precincts.
This is in regards to the tie vote as explained below.
Election night story:
The fall election wrapped up Tuesday for everyone but those associated with a tie vote for the contested race for College Station school board.
After all the votes were counted Tuesday night, Phillip Garrett and Mike Nugent each had 2,012 votes.
Click below for comments from Phillip Garrett and Mike Nugent, visiting with WTAW’s Patrick Zeinert.
CSISD communications director Chuck Glenewinkel says time will be taken to determine the status of seven provisional ballots related to this race. There is also one mail ballot that could be counted.
Click below for comments from Chuck Glenewinkel, visiting with WTAW’s Bill Oliver.
More than 72 percent of CSISD voters approved a $135.9 million dollar bond issue.
Click HERE to read the list of three new schools and other projects from this bond issue.
Click below for comments from CSISD board member Jeff Harris on the passage of the bond issue:
Bryan city voters chose two new members to the city council. Ben Hardeman is joining the governing body for the third time, representing single member district five. And businessowner Buppy Simank joins the council for the first time as the at-large member.
Click below for comments from Ben Hardeman and Buppy Simank, visiting with WTAW’s Bill Oliver.
The Bryan school board has two new members, Ruthie Waller representing single member district four and Mark McCall chosen as the at-large member.
Click below for comments from Ruthie Waller and Mark McCall, visiting with WTAW’s Bill Oliver:
Running total includes 26 of 26 voting centers plus early voting from Brazos County city-school contested races and the CSISD bond issue:
BRYAN COUNCIL SMD 5
Ben Hardeman 419 59.18%
Jarrod Hamlin 289 40.82%
BRYAN COUNCIL AT-LARGE
Ethan Brisby 505 12.12%
Buppy Simank 3091 74.18%
Kevin Davenport 571 13.70%
BRYAN SCHOOL BOARD SMD 4
Ruthie Waller 1551 82.85%
Jimmie Arnold 321 17.15%
BRYAN SCHOOL BOARD AT LARGE
Tommy Bosquez 1625 32.38%
Mark McCall 3394 67.62%
COLLEGE STATION SCHOOL BOARD
Mike Nugent 2012 50.00%
Phillip Garrett 2012 50.00%
COLLEGE STATION $135.9 MILLION BOND ISSUE
YES 3446 72.46%
NO 1310 27.54%