Vote canvass produces primary sweep for Chelak

MILFORD n County judicial candidate Greg Chelak apparently will not have to make a fall campaign run after all. Initial results of last week’s primaries appeared to change after the county officially certified the elections. Although county election officials would not comment Wednesday, canvassing of the vote revealed that Chelak won on both party tickets against opponent Steve Guccini. Initially, he was said to have narrowly lost the Democratic vote by a 79 vote margin. Chelak told the Courier that from what he was told discrepancies existed at numerous districts, most dramatically in the Westfall and Delaware No. 2 polling places. He said that last Tuesday, one of his poll workers at Delaware No. 2 had recorded him winning the Democratic vote 77-52, but the board of elections reported a 52-77 defeat. He said he didn’t question it, but since learned his figures of a 25-vote victory were correct. Chelak said further that the original tally of 90-51 in Guccini’s favor in Westfall on the Democratic ticket also changed to an 87-54 victory. In neither case had an explanation been given to either candidate as of Wednesday evening. Guccini was unavailable for comment before press time. What was it like, learning a 79 vote deficit turned into a 38 vote win? “If this is the end result, it was worth the wait,” Chelak commented. If the numbers are certified, and Guccini does not challenge the results, Chelak will have won the new Pike judge’s bench by default. Director Yolanda Goldsack at the board of elections refused comment by press time stating that nothing is official until the results are certified.