By definition, to certify means “to declare something true and accurate by formal statement.” The certification that was issued for the Wellington council election may have been issued, but it was certifying something that was not true or accurate. It is incumbent upon the election officials to immediately void the current and existing certification and immediately certify the correct and authenticate re-counted votes.
The people of Wellington have spoken, and regardless of the previous error, the will of the voters must prevail. It is not the vote count that is in question but more the way the votes were handled by the machines and their tabulations. The faulty machines or their programming should not hold up the corrected results and the accurate certification of the true winners, Matt Willhite and John Greene. Even the Wellington Canvassing Board members, Anne Gerwig and Carmine Priore, stated that the citizens of Wellington have voted for Willhite and Greene and any technical errors should not hold up their swearing in to office.
In the best interests of the Village of Wellington, Shauna Hostetler and Al Paglia ran a clean and honest race and should be commented for their efforts. However, they should concede and allow the actual winners to be sworn in and take their rightful council seats on March 27.
Michael Whitlow, Wellington
