Magistrate race among recounts.
Scranton Times 07 June 2005. BY BORYS KRAWCZENIUK STAFF WRITER
 
The race for magisterial district judge in the Archbald area is among those where primary election results will be recounted.

Judge Robert A. Mazzoni granted incumbent Magisterial District Judge Joseph Toczydlowski's request for a recount of all votes, even though only the Republican race is considered close.

The official count showed attorney Patricia Grande Rieder winning the Republican nomination over Mr. Toczydlowski on the Republican ballot by one vote and attorney Laura Turlip by three. Ms. Turlip won the Democratic nomination by 735 votes over Mr. Toczydlowski out of about 8,400 cast in the race.

The people who filed petitions seeking the recount on Mr. Toczydlowski's behalf allege fraud or error in the original count, but did not specify the fraud or error. The magisterial district encompasses Archbald, Blakely, Jermyn, Jessup and Mayfield boroughs and Scott Township.

The deadline for filing recount requests was Monday.

Several other recounts were ordered and one was completed Monday. They were:

CARBONDALE AREA SCHOOL BOARD: In the race for a two-year, Region 1 school board seat, a recount showed incumbent Patrick Gillott maintained his narrow leads on both ballots. Mr. Gillott had 309 votes to 301 for challenger Nancy Mark on the Democratic side and 78 votes to 71 for Ms. Mark on the Republican. A judge ordered the recount last week. The dual win means Mr. Gillott is assured of being elected, barring a successful third party or write-in candidacy.

JESSUP: Voters alleged unspecified fraud or errors in seeking recounts of all votes in the race for four Democratic and Republican nominations for four-year Borough Council seats. Other voters alleged unspecified fraud or errors in seeking a recount in the race for a Democratic nomination for a two-year council seat.

Judge Mazzoni ordered a recount of all votes for the four-year seats. Judge Terrence R. Nealon ordered a recount of both ballots in the two-year council race.

Jack Mancak, James F. Brunozzi, Margaret A. Alunni and Nicholas V. Marino won the Demoratic nominations for the four-year seat. Patricia Duffy, the only Republican listed on the ballot for the four-year seats, won one of the GOP nominations while Mr. Mancak, Mr. Marino and Ms. Alunni won the other three through write-in votes, according to the official count.

In the two-year race, Patricia Geroulo Kurpis defeated Joseph A. Refice 713 votes to 700 on the Democratic side while Mr. Refice defeated her through write-in votes for a Republican nomination 11 to 1, according to the official count.

MOOSIC: Democratic Borough Council candidate Frank W. Puchalski and five voters in the borough's First Ward contended more votes were cast there than there are registered voters. They blamed malfunctioning machines and confusion caused by the county's consolidation of voting districts. Mr. Puchalski, with 528 votes, finished seventh of eight Democratic candidates for four nominations, 308 behind the fourth-place finisher Andrew J. Kudzinowski.

Judge Mazzoni ordered a recount of Democratic votes in that ward.

OLYPHANT: Voters, acting on behalf of council candidate William P. Shanley Jr., alleged an Election Night error in counting votes in the borough's Second Ward. They said Mr. Shanley had 84 votes, but open returns pegged the total at 64.

The 20-vote decline ped Mr. Shanley into fourth place in a race for three Democratic nominations for four-year seats on the Borough Council. Eugene L. Liberty finished third, ahead of Mr. Shanley, 544 to 527, according to the official count.

Judge Nealon ordered a recount of voting machine votes and absentee ballots. There were no Republicans on the Borough Council ballot and only William Nefak earned a Republican nomination for the council through write-in votes, according to the official count.

Marion Medalis, director of the county Bureau of Elections, said recounts in the district judge and the Jessup and Moosic races will take place Wednesday at 9 a.m.