By one single vote, Jasper Mayor Terry Seitz was announced the winner of the race in November by the recount commission on Friday, just before 1 pm. The two lawyers, one for Seitz and the other for challenger Wayne Schuetter argued over the disputed ballots, but it came down to the ballot that was missing one set of initials. The recount commission voted 2 to 1 to disqualify the entire ballot based on Indiana law and legal precedent. The disqualification of the ballot subtracted one vote from Schuetter’s total, giving the race to Seitz. Seitz ended with 1,856 votes to Schuetter’s 1,855. When asked whether or not he would appeal the results of the recount commission, Schuetter said that he would consult with his lawyer, William Groth of Indianapolis.
