16) Romania: Village re-elects dead mayor
Yahoo! News
"The residents of a Romanian village knowingly voted in a dead man as
their mayor in Sunday's municipal election, preferring him to his living
opponent. Neculai Ivascu, 57, who ran the village for almost two
decades, died from liver disease just after voting began -- but still
won the election by a margin of 23 votes. A local official said the
authorities decided to keep the poll open in case Ivascu's opponent,
Gheorghe Dobrescu, won, avoiding the need for a re-run. 'I know he died,
but I don't want change,' a pro-Ivascu villager told Romanian
television. In the end, election authorities gave the post to the
runner-up, but some villagers and Ivascu's party, the powerful
opposition Social Democrat Party (PSD), have called for a new vote."
(06/16/08)
20) ND: No one in small town shows up to vote
Associated Press
"Pillsbury Mayor Darrel Brudevold said voter turnout in the city's
primary election usually is fairly high. 'I dare say a half-dozen people
usually make it to the polls,' he said. That represents about a quarter
of the residents in the Barnes County farming community, in southeastern
North Dakota. But on June 10, no one showed up. Not even those on the
ballot. Brudevold ran unopposed for re-election. His wife, Ruth, and Dan
Lindseth faced no challengers for their alderman seats. 'Everybody has
got a job and they're busy,' Brudevold said. 'It just worked out that
nobody seemed to go down there to the polls.' ...
Barnes County Auditor Ed McGough said those in office can stay there and
appoint people, including themselves, to the jobs until the next
election." (06/14/08)