Long Beach : Howe Drops Recount Call

Unsuccessful City Council candidate Ralph Howe has withdrawn his request for a recount of 9th District ballots cast in the April 8 primary election.

Howe, who received 1,435 votes, or 37.2%, deposited a $553 check to pay for the recount last week after City Clerk Shelba Powell told him that incumbent Warren Harwood’s 1,973 votes were only 17 more than the simple majority he needed to avoid a June runoff with Howe. Powell corrected herself this week, however, saying that Harwood had received 46 more votes than a majority.

The confusion developed because Harwood’s vote total had been improperly compared to the 3,910 total ballots cast, instead of to the 3,854 ballots the clerk declared valid, Powell explained.

Howe said he could not imagine picking up 46 votes on a scheduled Wednesday recount, so he canceled it.