Voting Machine Malfunction Changes Kidder Mayor

CALDWELL COUNTY, MO — Some malfunctioning voting equipment in Kidder Township of Caldwell County has reversed initial election returns for Kidder mayor. Michael Grooms, the write-in candidate for mayor, actually defeated Dave McEwen by a 36-29 count. According to County Clerk Beverly Bryant, she became suspicious of the voting machine in that precinct when a ballot showed up in the wrong envelope. She discussed the matter with poll workers and then called in an inspector for the machine in use there. Representatives from the company which supplied the balloting equipment discovered that a deflector on the box malfunctioned, causing an error in the count. Since the election results at that time were yet to be certified, the precinct judges were recalled to observe the inspection of the machine prior to final certification.