Sterling Watkins plans to contest the District 4 Warsaw School Board election.

"I've given it much thought, obviously," Watkins said Wednesday. "I believe that at the end of the day I have no other choice but to contest the election. The vote was very, very close and there was a mix-up on the ballot. Therefore, I will take the steps to see what alternatives I have. I will follow through and I am very committed to being on the board."

In Tuesday's election, Charles E. "Chuck" Sauders received 767 votes to Watkins' 762 votes.

The "mix-up" occurred at Warsaw's Ward 2, Precinct 1, when a voting booth did not include the District 4 candidates on the ballot. The booth was shut down early, as soon as the problem was found, but as many as 63 votes could have been affected.

Wednesday afternoon Watkins said, "This isn't about me. The system's got to be right and it wasn't right."

Conceivably, he said, he could have won because it's undetermined how many voters didn't get to cast a vote for the school board race.

"It was a tough decision," he said. At one point, he said, he thought about "being noble" and conceding the race, but he said it wasn't just about him. He campaigned hard for the seat and admitted he wanted to win, but still, the decision was difficult.

He said he received many calls Wednesday at home and at work from people, some he didn't even know, who said the District 4 race was not on their ballots.

By no means does he want to make a mockery of the election process, he said. Deciding to contest the race, however, was the "right thing to do." He said he hopes the public and his opponent understand that.

"It's too close," he said.

Additionally, he said, the nice side of him doesn't want to put the county or taxpayers through this, but people have said they were behind him.

Watkins said he plans to let his committee take it to the election board and see what they say. It was Watkins' understanding that he had one week from the election to contest the race. [[In-content Ad]]