Judge Orders Special Election for Knightstown after Electronic Error
Judge Orders Special Election for Knightstown after Electronic Voting Error
KNIGHTSTOWN, Ind. — A Henry County judge has called for a special election Wednesday in Knightstown.
The call comes after Henry County officials identified an electronic error that allowed people living out of Knightstown to vote in primary elections for clerk-treasurer and town council positions.
Election officials say they cannot determine exactly how many ineligible people cast ballots.
The error directly impacted the race for Knightstown clerk-treasurer. In that election, candidate Bart Whitesitt lost to Karla Gorman by a margin of 238 to 235. Whitesitt and town council candidate Desiree Payton are suing the Henry County election board over the error.
Gorman says Whitesitt has every right to ask for a special election. However, she added she wouldn’t have challenged the results if the count were reversed.
The council at-large primary race was not as close, but the judge ordered a reset for both contests anyway. Party leaders say a special election is the way to get an accurate result.
The county clerk now has over a week to come up with a plan for the special election , which will likely take place late July or early August.
