Chapter 4
different name of similar pronunciation or sound has been written instead of the actual name of
the candidate intended to be voted for.
At 628. The deviations accepted by the supreme court included “France Devine,” “France P. Defvine,” and
Franics P. Deiven.” However, the supreme court agreed with the trial court and rejected ballots cast for a
variety of other names including “Dan Devnine,” “Danny Devine,” “James Devine,” “Russell Devine,”
“Louis P. Devine,” Frances D. Levine” and “V. Devine.” For these, the supreme court continued,
The variations in given name are not similar to the candidate’s true name nor did it appear he was
known by any of those names.
Finally, there were 51 ballots with other marks on them. Among them were 13 ballots where Mr. Devine’s
name was written twice, one where his name was written three times and crossed out twice, one where his
first name was crossed out and his full name was written-in, and other instances where Mr. Devine’s first
or last name was written and crossed out and rewritten. Of these and other similar markings the supreme
court said,
[I]t is obvious the voters were confused regarding where to write in Devine’s name. We believe
this confusion caused the voters to cross out and rewrite the name, and no evidence exists of an intent
to place identifying marks on these ballots.
At 629 (emphasis supplied).
The court also allowed to be counted ballots with erasures where there was no evidence that the voter
intended to make identifying marks. Following the voters’ intent, the Iowa Supreme Court also allowed
to be counted ballots where Mr. Devine’s name was written under both the Democratic and Republican
headings, and ballots where Mr. Devine’s name was written under Mr. Wonderlich’s on the Republican
heading. Three ballots where Mr. Wonderlich’s name was written under the Democratic heading also were
counted. As to all of these ballots, the supreme court said,
We believe common sense and general principles should govern. No doubt exists regarding the voters’
intent to vote for Devine.
At 629 (emphasis supplied).
When all of the marks on the ballots were considered, and all the ballots were counted, Mr. Devine won
the election by 20 votes, with 2,667 votes to Mr. Wonderlich’s 2,647 votes.81
There was a similar result in Boevers v. Election Board of Canadian County, 640 P.2d 1333 (Okla. 1981), a
dispute between Henry Boevers and Wayne Kremeier over the Republican Party nomination for county
commissioner in District 1 of Canadian County, Oklahoma. After a recount, Mr. Kremeier was ahead of
Mr. Boevers by one vote: 228 to 227. Two ballots were at issue. One had Mr. Kremeier’s name crossed
out and an X placed in the box next to Mr. Boevers’ name. The other had no mark in the box next to Mr.
Kremeier’s name and a squiggly marking in the box next to Mr. Boevers’ name.
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Mr. Wonderlich served as county supervisor from the time of the election until after Mr. Devine won his case. When Mr. Devine won
this case he took Mr. Wonderlich’s place as county supervisor. Then Mr. Devine sued Mr. Wonderlich to get the money Mr. Wonderlich
had been paid as county supervisor during that time. The Iowa Supreme Court specifically overturned its own clear precedent to hold
that Mr. Devine could not recover the money from Mr. Wonderlich, saying that “the de jure officeholder who ultimately prevails in an
election may not recover from the de facto officeholder the salary he or she received while serving in office during the pendency of the
contest litigation.” Devine v. Wonderlich, 288 N.W.2d 902, 905 (1980).
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