Kroymann, Barton win school race

Write-in vote complicates the results, official numbers for write-ins due Wednesday

Even though Cathy Kroymann and John Barton finished first and second in the vote for the two seats on the Palo Alto school board, only Barton had to sweat things out Tuesday night due to the write-in vote count.

But once the number of write-in ballots were known, it was clear Barton had won.

Unofficially, Kroymann finished with a total of 8,995 votes, or 39.7 percent of the balloted votes, and Barton pulled in 26.3 percent with 5,967 votes.

Although the write-in results may not be known for a couple of days, officials indicated on Tuesday that the total number of write-in ballots was 3,868. Therefore the most votes either write-in candidate--Mandy Lowell or Ann Ozer--could receive is 3,868. Barton had already received 5,967 votes.

"The board member chairs always looked so comfortable sitting in the audience," Kroymann said. "I guess I'll find out soon."

The three candidates who dropped out of the school board race--Amado Padilla, Bill Albright and Jim Fruchterman--split the remaining 34 percent of the ballot votes. This, and the fact that write-in votes did not appear in the totals caused confusion for the school board hopefuls.

While Kroymann was opening the champagne at about 10:30 p.m, Barton waited anxiously to see if he had won or not. From the home of campaign manager Suzanne Logan-Lafayette, the Cable Co-op broadcast of the election from City Hall showed the numbers for neither the three drop-out candidates nor the write-in candidates, thus a prediction was impossible.

"It looks good, but it may be a couple days until we see the results," Barton said anxiously.

When the live broadcast ended at 11:30 p.m., Barton had to head to City Hall, where the votes were being tallied, to get the news that he had won.

Ozer said she talked to many people who were confused about the write-in process.

"I have some friends who said 'where's your name.'" Ozer said. "They thought there would be at least a mention of my name on the ballot."

Ozer added that some people voted for one write in and two balloted candidates.

"They thought it was like the City Council race--one short-term race and one long-term," she said.

--Charlie Breitrose