By MICHAEL RODRIGUEZ
Managing Editor
editor@sbnewspaper.com
San Benito CISD Place 4 Board Trustee Joe G. Gonzalez has requested a recount of Election Day votes which saw him fall short, according to uncanvassed votes, by a 17-vote margin to challenger June Aguilera. (File photos)
It’s not quite over yet.
San Benito CISD Business Manager Emma McCall confirmed Wednesday that Joe G. Gonzalez has requested a recount.
Gonzalez, who entered Election Day Saturday as the incumbent in the Place 4 race for the San Benito CISD Board of Trustees, paid an $800 deposit Wednesday morning for a manual recount, which is currently scheduled for 8 a.m. Friday. Although, McCall said she doesn’t anticipate the proceeding costing as much and expects Gonzalez will be refunded a difference.
The challenger in the race, June Aguilera, won according to uncanvassed votes of 1,380 to Gonzalez’s 1,363 – a 17-vote margin.
“Seventeen votes are not a lot, but I don’t see where they can find 17 in there, so I think it’ll still come out the same,” Aguilera said.
Gonzalez has not returned calls requesting comment.
Donald Shafer, Hector Mancillas, Emilia Salinas, and Jose Cavazos have been selected by McCall to conduct the recount. She said the process of selecting those who’ll be conducting the recount is “done with great difficulty.”
“They cannot be district employees and cannot be election judges,” McCall said. “They have to be registered voters, and we tried to find people who are retired registered voters. They were selected today (Wednesday).”
McCall added that each candidate is entitled to a poll watcher at the recount.
The last recount held for a San Benito CISD election was in May of 2009, when challenger Gilbert Galvan requested as much after falling short against Place 1 incumbent Bob Tumberlinson. The original tally had Tumberlinson ahead by 1,223 votes and Galvan close behind with 1,210; after the recount, Tumberlinson was the winner with 1,225 votes to Galvan’s 1,214.
For more on this story, pick up a copy of the May 22 edition of the San Benito News. Or view our E-Edition by clicking here.
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