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Mark Barthel

Friday, January 11, 2013

School Referendum, Split Votes and Mourning: Feedback Friday

The most thoughtful, moving, controversial or just plain funny comments from around the west metro between Jan. 4 and Jan. 10.

Each week, Patch users contribute numerous insights, opinions and observations. The following is a collection of the most thoughtful, moving, controversial or just plain funny comments that appeared on Patch sites in Eden Prairie, Edina, Golden Valley, Hopkins, Minnetonka, Richfield, Shakopee, Plymouth, St. Louis Park and St. Michael. Click on the headline to read the full story and join in the conversation. (The comments below are not meant to reflect the opinions of Patch or its staff.) *** VIDEO: State Rep. Yvonne Selcer Discusses Priorities The state legislative session began on Tuesday, Jan 8 at noon. What issues should Yvonne Selcer and our other local representatives focus on? From Becky Henry: Thanks for this helpful video …

Thursday, November 29, 2012

OPINION: Process Failed in Decision on Challenged Ballot

Albertville City Council member Larry Sorensen — who was re-elected through a coin toss this month — says that voter intent laws were not followed by some.

  It doesn’t happen too often where a candidate running for office is told that they lost by one vote, then won by one vote, then tied, and finally won by a coin flip. That is what happened to me this year, in my run for re-election to Albertville City Council. First of all, I want to thank fellow candidate Mark Barthel, the election officials, and our city staff for making certain that the recount process went smooth and was fair. As much as a person can enjoy sitting in a room for six hours and watching election judges go through all of the 3,700 plus ballots, I felt it was an interesting and educational process to be involved in. After the recount was finished, each candidate had 1,116 votes. There had been one challenged ballot that …

Dieter

1:25 pm on Wednesday, December 5, 2012

I agree with you 100% JM. When the whole administrator fiasco went down, I emailed Mr. Sorenson and another council member to ask what was going on and why it happened. Mr. Sorenson filled me in on what was going on and continued to keep me informed. In the past I have never allowed any candidates to put their signs in my yard, this year is the first year I have allowed it and it was for Mr. …   more ›

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Coin Toss Determines Sorensen Re-Elected to Albertville City Council

After a recount, a split council vote and a coin toss, Larry Sorensen was re-elected to the Albertville City Council Monday night.

It was the election that just wouldn't end — or so it seemed — Monday night at an Albertville City Council meeting. A chance between heads or tails in a council coin toss declared incumbent Larry Sorensen as the winner of the race for city council. The question of who would fill the seat — Sorensen or candidate Mark Barthel — had been unanswered since the Nov. 6 elections. The coin toss was, by law, the last procedure a council must do in a case like this one — a close election, a subsequent recount finding an exact tie, and lastly, a tie between city council members in determining who the vote was for in a challenged ballot. After Thursday's recount results resulted in an exact tie between Sorensen and Barthel, Monday night's council …

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Rick

5:38 pm on Saturday, November 24, 2012

Larry, thanks for the link to the video. I stand corrected. I listened to your comments as well as others and did not hear a reference to bonding in them. So apparently my ears are playing tricks on me. However, that being said, I do appreciate the seriousness that the city council is taking in dealing with the current budget. And with current economic projections, in my opinion no city should be…   more ›

Monday, November 19, 2012

Albertville City Council Election Recount Results in Tie

With one vote seperating Albertville City Council candidates Mark Barthel and Larry Sorenson, a subsequent recount resulted in an actual tie. A challenged ballot will go before council tonight.

The saying "every vote counts" couldn't be more true Thursday at a recount of votes for Albertville City Council. The recount resulted in an exact tie between incumbent Larry Sorenson and Mark Barthel — each receiving 1,116 votes. Candidates were allowed to challenge any ballot during the recount, when election judges went through more than 3,400 ballots at Wright County Courthouse. One ballot was challenged, and the challenged ballot will go before the council at tonight's 7 p.m. meeting at Albertville City Hall. Sorenson will abstain from voting on the matter. A vote by the city council tonight will determine who will be declared the winner, when the council will consider who the voter intended on voting for on the challenged ballot. …

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Samara Postuma

6:29 pm on Monday, November 19, 2012

Rick, the machine would not reject ballots that voted for other candidates but should reject voters who voted for three candidates or more.   more ›

Thursday, November 8, 2012

89% Voter Turn Out in Albertville

Albertville City Hall saw record numbers come through and vote Tuesday.

Albertville City Hall was busy Tuesday with over 3000 voters making their way through the building to vote. They had over 700 new voter registrations that day. "All in all, we had 89% voter turnout," city clerk Kim Olson told the council on Wednesday night. Going into the election, the city already had 3849 registered voters, 267 of which voted absentee. An additional 743 new voters registered Election Day and the total amount of voters was 3447. Jillian Hendrickson was elected mayor and will take her oath and begin her new position at the first council meeting in January. At that point in time, the council will declare a vacancy on the council as she still has two years left on her council term. The council will then work together and …

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