Re “Goldberg’s Surprising Wingspan Made the Difference”
Surprisingly little drama was attached to last week’s School Board election even though the only incumbent, Scott Zeidman, finished a tissue-thin 28 votes behind the second and final qualifier, Laura Chardiet.
The Board President may have retained his seat if bullet voting — writing in only one name when two candidates are to be elected — had not played such a central role in the outcome.
Nancy Goldberg handily led after the absentee ballots were counted and at every subsequent juncture by virtually the same healthy margin. Ms. Chardiet, likewise, began and finished with a wafer-wide edge over Mr. Zeidman. Those notations, though, may be incidental to the rash of bullet voting that tends to stack numbers in a single candidate’s favor — namely, Ms. Goldberg.
Data researcher George Laase reported this afternoon that bullet voting was highest in the precincts that Ms. Goldberg won, significantly lower where Mr. Zeidman ran well.
Having apparently just been nicked out of the race, Mr. Zeidman this afternoon was asked his view, as a candidate, of bulleting voting.
“Every candidate must make his or her decision about what needs to be done,” he said. “I did not bullet vote. I did not recommend to my family to bullet vote.
“I want the best possible School Board, the best possible City Council. That may make me a dumb candidate.
“Maybe I am practicing law today, as opposed to being on the Board, because of that.
“It doesn’t bother me. Everyone has an opportunity to do what he or she thinks is best.
“Some people think it’s best to get their one candidate on.
Personally, I think it is best to elect the best possible Board or the best possible Council.
“It does not vex me that about one-sixth of the people bullet voted,” Mr. Zeidman said. “It is not a surprise.
“We have seen this in our city, time and time again.
“There is no way of knowing who the bullet voters voted for, but we pretty much have an idea.
“I think if you go back to the Council race two years ago to Jeff Cooper, Scott Malsin and Meghan Sahli-Wells, you will find the majority of people likely voted for two, more likely than not for Cooper and Malsin.
“I don’t have any facts to back it up. But I speculate that the bullet voting was done more on behalf of Meghan Sahli-Wells than it was for Cooper or Malsin.”
Mr. Zeidman said the motivation behind bullet voting “is a way to get your candidate onto the Board.”
