'Correct' '1505' Vote Gives VP A New Term

'Correct' '1505' Vote Gives VP A New Term

By HOWARD MEGDAL

Incumbent Vice President Dilcy Benn was sworn in last week after an erroneous count that would have given the election to challenger Alicia Nevarez was corrected.

DILCY BENN: Fuzzy math stirs suspicion. At a membership meeting last month, it was announced that a count of the 171 ballots showed Ms. Nevarez had defeated Ms. Benn, 128 to 89. Ms. Benn demanded and was granted a recount after pointing out that the individual totals added up to 217.

New Vote Adds Up

The corrected vote had Ms. Benn ahead, 89 to 82.

"If I hadn't caught the mistake, what would have happened?" Ms. Benn asked in a May 4 phone interview. "All I know is, when I was sworn in, my members were clapping and cheering."

Ms. Benn stopped short of accusing Local 1505's leadership of chicanery, though she did point out that the company handling the count, Election Services Corporation, was selected by President Michael Hood.

"They were fighting really hard to get me out," said Ms. Benn, who contended that Mr. Hood turned against her when she clashed with one of his advisers. "So I don't know what to think."

Mr. Hood did not return calls seeking comment, but the local's election committee chairman, Michael Langworthy, defended him against the suggestion of electoral dirty tricks.

"Mr. Hood is a very good man," Mr. Langworthy said in a May 4 phone interview. "There is no foul play, never has been, never will be."

He laid the blame at the feet of ESC, though he added that the company handled itself "very professionally."

"I'm not putting them down," Mr. Langworthy said. "They tried the best they could. But they made a mistake."

A spokesman for ESC did not return a call seeking comment.

Mr. Langworthy said that he would not support using ESC in future local elections. He conveyed that feeling to Mr. Hood, who he said responded in a "very positive" way.

The Local 1505 leader did not, however, rule out using ESC again, according to Mr. Langworthy.

"He was positive in the way that he would think about it," Mr. Langworthy said.

Under Advisement

He went on to criticize Ms. Benn for phoning Mr. Hood with her difficulties, rather than calling him.

"I was the one she should have talked to," Mr. Langworthy said. "I was the one on the phone with [ESC] for hours and hours, dozens of times, trying to get this resolved."