BENSON -- The city of Benson found another error during its election recount Wednesday for its City Council race between incumbents Sue Fritz and Bob Claussen and challenger Benjamin Hess.
According to Swift County Auditor Bryon Giese, another error was found in the votes cast for Fitz in the three-horse race for the two seats. Giese, who oversaw Wednesday's recount, said the totals were as follows: Fitz with 376 votes, Claussen with 239 votes and Hess with 229 votes.
Following the election's first-two counts, the election judges counted 377 votes for Fitz.
Benson City Clerk Glen Pederson, who was in charge of last week's election, said Giese offered to oversee the recount.
Earlier this week, Hess informed the Tribune that he would request a recount of the race he lost by 10 votes.
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The city had declared Hess the winner of the race Nov. 6 with a 265 to 239 victory, but made a correction Friday because the number of votes tallied for the race was unequal to the number of ballots cast.
Hess did not return the Tribune's phone calls Wednesday to explain why he requested the recount during the City Council's meeting Tuesday.
According to Minnesota statute 204C.36 Subdivision 1 Section B, a city is required to perform a recount of an election race involving two seats -- if requested by the losing candidate -- when the losing candidate lost to a winning candidate by 10 votes or less.
Giese said he would attend Benson's scheduled special meeting today to turn in the results to the recount committee for a canvassing, or official examining, of the ballots.
