City Council seats filled after election

The Oberlin City Council seats have been filled. Tuesday was election day, during which 11 candidates ran for seven two-year City Council positions.

Officially the results of the election are not released until Nov. 20. According to Gene Simon, Clerck of Council, the preliminary winners of the seven seats are Richard Lothrop, Philip Verda, James Whites, Herbert Willis, Kenneth Sloane, Calvin Waite and Francis Baumann.

The Board of Elections reported that the top vote-getter was Francis Baumann with 1,260 votes. Philip Verda and Richard Lothrop were a close second and third with 974 and 972 votes respectively. Kenneth Sloane, Calvin Waite, Herbert Willis and James White were the trailing candidates.

College senior Sarah Kotok, the only college student running for the position, tallied 559 votes, placing her last among the 11 candidates running.

The OC Democrates worked before the election to get the vote out. Chair of the OC Democrats Jenny Kaleczyc said, "We had a table set up in the mailroom. We were pretty busy. It seemed like many students voted."

Although many students voted absentee for their home residences, some students chose to vote in the Oberlin election.

"Well it was hard... I felt weird voting because I don't live around here all the time. I only know what I read in the newspaper. I checked out the candidates' responses on issues such as policing," junior Jessica Tulloch said.

Loyalty also played a factor. Many students voted for senior Sarah Kotok, the only Oberlin student to run in the election. "I voted for Sarah, because I know her and I think that she's a student who is seriously devoted to getting members of the College and community involved in common issues...and addressing them," said junior Bedeti Tibone.

Senior Michael Pinkerton said, "It's more issues that I vote for...but I didn't know anyone so I ended up voting for Sarah since she's a student."

Official tallies will be made by November 20 when absentee ballots are totaled.