School Board candidate Geoff Zahn has requested Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools conduct a publicly funded recount of the 2022 School Board election.
Per Minnesota Statute 204C.36, a losing candidate may request a recount if the difference between the vote cast for that candidate and for a winning candidate is less than one-quarter of 1% of the total votes counted for that office. Zahn finished just 107 votes behind incumbent Enrique Velazquez, who earned reelection. Bill Markert finished three votes ahead of Zahn, 104 votes behind Velazquez.
As a result of the request, PLSAS is required to conduct the recount and follow the process as outlined by the Secretary of State’s office, which will include authorizing a recount official to conduct the recount and hiring 18 election judges to hand count and examine more than 200,000 ballots. The process is expected to take about five days and cost PLSAS approximately $10,000 to conduct.
This is the first time in its history PLSAS has conducted a recount for a School Board election. The recount is open to the public and will commence on Dec. 5 at 8:30 a.m. at the Scott County Government Center, 200 4th Ave. West, Shakopee, MN, 55379, Room GE 161.
The PLSAS Board of Education canvassed the election results on Nov. 18. In addition to Velazquez, voters in PLSAS chose newcomers Lisa Atkinson, Amy Bullyan and Jessica Olstad for their first terms on the board.
Nov. 8 School Board election result totals, as reported by the Secretary of State’s office, are as follows:
Totals: 10,509 Percent: 15.37%
Totals: 9,076 Percent: 13.27%
Totals: 8,952 Percent: 13.09%
Totals: 7,912 Percent: 11.57%
Totals: 7,808 Percent: 11.42%
Totals: 7,805 Percent: 11.41%
Totals: 7,523 Percent: 11.00%
Totals: 7,073 Percent: 10.34%
Totals: 1,561 Percent: 2.28%
WRITE-IN: 159 Percent: 0.23%
