Flood of write-in votes complicates Chatfield mayoral race

(ABC 6 News) – A write-in candidate threw a wrench in Chatfield’s mayoral election Tuesday night with final results not coming in until Wednesday afternoon.

Chatfield residents were still wondering if the person they voted for mayor won or not and they weren’t the only ones.

The city didn’t know either, until working with Olmsted and Fillmore counties to get all of their absentee and mail-in ballots counted.

The City of Chatfield received more write-in selections than votes for either mayoral candidate in Tuesday’s election, leaving the outcome undetermined until Fillmore and Olmsted Counties processed all of their absentee and mail-in ballots.

Some residents tell ABC 6 News that former mayor Sorenson had decided to run about a month ago, and had started campaigning. So he was not techically on the ballot.

Chatfield mayoral candidate John McBroom received 452 votes, according to the Secretary of State’s website, while candidate Pam Bluhm received 332 votes.

Current mayor Russ Smith decided to retire after almost 20 years of serving Chatfield as a city council member and mayor which inspired McBroom, Bluhm, and Sorenson to offer their services to the community in a new way.

Former mayor Curt Sorenson, who was not on the ballot, received 431 write-in votes.

ABC 6 News reached out to Sorenson for comment Wednesday but has not heard back.

See more election results at kaaltv.com.