April Fools Day

Surprise Recount Nullifies
2006 Election Results

2008 election results also questioned

by Tar Marlign

In a surprise announcement, the Currituck County Board of Elections has nullified the 2006 general election results in two highly contested race.

According to sources close to the Elections Board, a stash of uncounted ballots was recently discovered in the Moyock, Powells Point and Courthouse Precinct polling locations. Discovery of these uncounted ballots prompted a recount of the 2006 election results.

While the newfound ballots had no effect on national and state races of the 2006 general election results, the recount upset two highly contest races for the Currituck County Board of Commissioners.

The race for the Poplar Branch Township Board of Commissioners seat between then incumbent S. Paul O’Neal (R) and challenger Barry Nelms (D), was decided in the original count by a margin of 99 votes favoring Nelms. A recount including the originally uncounted ballots, have now placed O’Neal ahead of Nelms by a similar margin of 99 votes.

O’Neal, when reached for comment, while shocked, stated “I’ve always said there was something screwy about the vote counts in that election – they just didn’t add up.”

The surprise recount also affected the three way race for the At Large Commissioners seat. Running in that race was incumbent Paul Martin (R), and challengers Gene Gregory (D) and Greg Wirth (U). Gregory won the seat with the original election tally, however, with the inclusion of the newfound ballot counts, Wirth has been announced the winner by a margin of 13 votes.

When reached for comment, Wirth stated, “everyone always came up to me and stated, ‘I voted for you’, but the numbers of people who said they voted for me never matched the election results. Now I guess it all makes sense.”

Neither Gregory or Nelms could be reached for comment at press time. There have been unsubstantiated reports that the two were commiserating and drowning their sorrows at Nelms’ local waterhole at Walnut Island. Sources close to Nelms’ and Gregory have indicated that they will likely

Institute of Government officials were miffed at the consequences of such an oversight. The new election results calls into question every county decision engineered by Nelms and Gregory as sitting Commissioners from 2006 to present.

These decisions including, but not limited to: rezoning of over 2000 acres of land from agricultural to residential throughout the county; negotiation and purchase of the County Visitors Center at Moyock; dismissal of several advisory board members in December of 2006; and, several major subdivision approvals.

The recount and subsequent revised election results also calls into question the 2008 election results in which O’Neal faced challenger Stanley Griggs (D) for the newly formed second At Large seat. Particularly

Elections officials have been tight lipped with regards to how these ballots could have been overlooked.

HAPPY APRIL FOOLS DAY!

This article is part of our April Fool’s Day package. We hope you enjoyed it and the others. No this did not really happen… but wouldn’t it be funny if it did ?

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