West Glacier recounts school board vote

It's not quite the hanging chad debacle of the 2000 presidential race, but West Glacier's school board election is nearly as controversial.

There was no clear winner from Tuesday's school election in the race for a two-year seat on the West Glacier board of trustees.

During a special meeting Thursday, trustees petitioned for a recount to determine whether incumbent Gerry Nolan or former board member Casey Heupel has been elected to the position.

The recount request occurred because of three discrepancies in the election results, trustee Brian McKeon said. The total number of ballots didn't match the total number of signatures. One absentee ballot was not counted.

The biggest problem, however, is the result of voter error.

Heupel's name was on the ballot, but Nolan ran as a write-in candidate. Thirteen people wrote Nolan's name on the ballot for Flathead Valley Community College's trustee election instead of on the West Glacier ballot. Six people wrote Nolan's name on the correct ballot but neglected to mark the "X" that indicated they wished to vote for him.

None of those ballots were counted Tuesday night. The district reported then that Nolan had received 57 votes to Heupel's 54.

The most recent unofficial count, which the board canvassed Thursday, shows Heupel with 65 votes and Nolan with 58.

The district won't have accurate numbers until the recount Monday at West Glacier School beginning at 5:45 p.m. McKeon and two district judges - Marilyn Schaefer from the Essex precinct and Francis "Kay" Ridenour from the West Glacier precinct - will conduct the recount.

In a typical election, three trustees would form the recount board, District Clerk Anna Stene-Bouley said. That will not work in this case, however.

One trustee will be out of town. Another, Carla Martin, was on the ballot. Even though she ran unopposed for the board's open, three-year seat, trustees decided she should not take part in the recount to make sure the district complies with state law.

Nolan is the third trustee, but he can't take part in the recount because his position is the one being contested. McKeon is the only other member of the board.

The six ballots lacking the "X" next to Nolan's name likely will be counted during the recount. State statute allows recount boards to consider voter intent; if a voter wrote in a candidate's name but failed to mark the "X" next to the name, the board may assume the voter wanted to vote for that candidate.

The FVCC ballots with Nolan's name legally cannot count. The board checked with the Montana Secretary of State, the Office of Public Instruction and the Montana School Boards Association, Stene-Bouley said; all three groups said those 13 ballots are not valid in the West Glacier election.

Nolan said his name originally was on the West Glacier ballot, but he asked to be removed because he was being considered for a job as superintendent of the St. Ignatius School District.

"I wasn't sure … if having the job in St. Ignatius, if I could commit to doing that," Nolan said of his decision to remove his name from the ballot.

He said he changed his mind after further considering his situation and asking other people for advice. By that time, it was too late to get back on the ballot, so he ran as a write-in candidate.

Although Nolan has been hired as St. Ignatius' new superintendent, he plans to continue living in the West Glacier district. He would not discuss his new job or the logistics of working in a district 80 miles from West Glacier.

"It's nobody's business," he said. "I am not going to move. … The family is not moving for a year."

On Sunday, Heupel sent the Daily Inter Lake a letter to the editor, congratulating Nolan on his new job.

"I feel that the St. Ignatius school board made a great decision when they unanimously picked Gerry Nolan as their schools' new superintendent on April 16. … Our community's loss is St. Ignatius' gain, and we wish Gerry the best!" he wrote.

Heupel had no comment when asked whether he were aware Nolan was not moving. He did, however, question the time Nolan will be able to commit to the school board if he is elected.

"I don't see him commuting back and forth. Most of his time will be dedicated down there out of the week," Heupel said. "It will be the loss of a full-time resident, you might say, to just a part-time resident."

Nolan would not comment on Heupel's remarks.

Nolan, who has more 30 years' experience in education, has been on the school board since he was appointed last fall.

Heupel served on the West Glacier board for four years but decided to "give it a break" when his term expired two years ago. He said he has regretted the decision ever since.

"I felt I made a mistake in not running again," he said.

Reporter Kristi Albertson may be reached at 758-4438 or by e-mail at kalbertson@dailyinterlake.com.