Some political initiatives are dead on arrival, but these politicians were actually deceased when they were voted into office Tuesday.
Some political initiatives are dead on arrival, but politicians in two states were actually deceased when voters chose them Tuesday.
According to officials in Oceanside, California, City Treasurer Gary Ernst was re-elected this week despite having died in September.
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The AP reports that Ernst earned 17,659 votes and beat challenger Nadine Scott by about 6 percentage points.
Officials said there wasn't time to remove Ernst's name from the ballot after he died of complications from diabetes.
Since the winner is dead, the city council can appoint a treasurer and Scott is asking that she be the appointee to honor the 15,000 votes she received.
Oceanside isn't the only town to elect a dead candidate this year. In Indiana, Fort Wayne voters reportedly re-elected Allen County Councilman Roy Buskirk four days after he lost his battle with cancer.
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According to WANE, officials said the there was no mandate to take Buskirk off the ballot because his death came fewer than seven days before the election.
With the seat now empty, Democrat and Republican county officials are going to war over how it will be filled.
Officials say the debate will likely end up in front of a judge.
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