WINSLOW, Maine - The Maine Supreme Judicial Court has declared a winner in a municipal election that was stalled because of a disputed ballot.
The Kennebec Journal reports Jerry Quirion defeated challenger Lee Trahan Thursday in the Winslow Town Council election. The election had resulted in a 173 to 173 tie after Trahan requested a recount. Quirion had asked that a sloppy ballot be invalidated in a lawsuit.
The high court determined it had the jurisdiction to determine the disputed ballot. According to the court, it was impossible to determine the voter's choice because there were ``ambiguous marks'' near each of the candidates' names. The ballot wasn't counted and Quirion was declared the winner by a margin of one vote.
Quirion's attorney, Ronald Bourget, says his client is grateful the judicial process worked.