The Ballard Council Seat That Turned on Two Votes

The contest over the Ballard council election will in all probability be settled. J. H. Blake, A. Morris, J. M. Donohue and H. E. Beach were candidates for councilman at the last city election in Ballard, held December 4, 1901, to choose three members of the city council. According to the return of the canvassing board, Donohue received 151 votes, Beach 147, Blake 142, and Morris 140. Donohue, Beach and Blake were therefore declared elected.

It appears from the above figures that Blake was elected over Morris by only two votes, and the latter brought contest proceedings before the city council, setting up malconduct on the part of the board in improperly counting the votes. The contest was filed December 11, and on December 20 the council decided that Morris had received 147 votes and Blake 146, increasing the vote of the former by seven and the latter by four, and electing Morris by one. Accordingly, Morris received a certificate of election from the city clerk and took his seat.

Not content with the decision, Blake carried the matter into the superior court, where it occupied the attention of Judge Bell all yesterday afternoon. The ballot box was opened and the votes counted by the court personally, and the result so far as shown by the tally sheet gives Blake his original vote of 142 and Morris the same 140. There are a few ballots yet to be counted, and the view the court takes of these may, of course, change the result, but as it now stands Blake is ahead. The case comes on again at 9:30 today.