In the midst of political history
Jim Gelbmann has made a career out of public service. But could anything have prepared him for “The Recount?”By: Hank Long, Woodbury Bulletin
- Swearing time
Jim Gelbmann has made a career out of public service. But could anything have prepared him for “The Recount?”
An elected member of the District 833 School Board since 1995, the Woodbury resident, has experience serving as deputy state auditor, working for former U.S. Sen. Mark Dayton and recently worked as a committee administrator for the state House of Representatives.
In April, Gelbmann was appointed to be the right-hand man of Secretary of State Mark Ritchie.
After he found out he was selected to serve as deputy secretary of state Gelbmann admitted some excitement.
But fast forward to this month and Gelbmann is a little more reflective on his job, which, for much of the last six weeks, has been focused on the ongoing recount for the U.S. Senator race between Norm Coleman and Al Franken.
The married father of four took some out some time from his busy workday recently to talk with the Woodbury Bulletin about what it’s been like to be in the smack dab center of the recount process.
Woodbury Bulletin: What has your workday been like during these last few months?
Jim Gelbmann: Actually, it all started before the election. Leading up to the election it became very long workdays. I was in here by 7-7:30 a.m. and probably didn’t leave until 6-6:30 at night.
We spent a lot of time making sure all the counties had all their (elections) equipment ready.
We were also making sure we tested all the reporting systems, because we have a computer network where people are able to send electronically their voting results from throughout the state via telephone lines and the internet. We needed them to make sure those systems worked. So we get results to the media, as well.
WB: The most recent focus on the recount has been toward the state canvassing board, which has become very important as of late, hasn’t it?
JG: Definitely. Back in the 1800s it was important for every election, because you literally had to have votes come in on horseback brought to the state Capital. Then you would have all those results added up and reported to the canvassing board.
But now, with modern electronics you really don’t necessarily need a canvassing board for most elections…., but it’s in the constitution and we’ve continued to honor that tradition, but this year we really needed it.
WB: Everyone knew the U.S. Senator race was going to be close, but when was the first indication for you that there might be a recount?
JG: We never anticipated there would be a statewide recount. There hadn’t been one even close to this magnitude since 1962 (governors race).
There was a recount during the primary election, but it was much less noticed and much easier to complete as well. There were three candidates for the state Supreme Court.
The incumbent got 54 percent of the vote. The next two challengers were within one half of one percent which, we all know, triggers an automatic recount.
WB: So that was a little bit of warm-up for you guys?
JG: It sure was. It was coincidence, but it sure helped us. We were really able to establish the mold for how we were going to do the major statewide recount.
WB: What would you say has been the most taxing part of your job since you were appointed in April?
JG: The recount has by far been the most taxing, but it has by far also been the most interesting. This is really history in the making.
Probably the most challenging week of the recount thus far was the first week after the election.
What happened during that first week was very hard for Minnesotans to understand, because on Wednesday morning (Nov. 5) our office put our numbers that said Sen. Coleman was up by 715 votes. The margin that triggers the automatic recount is if the margin is less than one half of one percent. And even if it was a lead of 15,000 votes that still would have been enough for a recount. I stayed up all night election night watching the gap getting narrower and narrower and narrower.
WB: You weren’t thinking so much about the who the winner was going to be, as much as you were as how much work you were going to have to do, weren’t you?
JG: (Laughs) Exactly! As soon as I saw it was within the 15,000-vote margin, I knew there was going to be a recount and I was just hoping that perhaps one candidate or the other would start pulling ahead to erase that one half of one percent…
People could not understand at first; they thought something suspicious was going on that first full week when the numbers being reported by the media kept changing. People were doing their jobs. County and city officials were correcting errors made by very tired election judges at 1 a.m. or 2 a.m. And that’s exactly why we have the recount, to make sure that all the votes get counted. Every person has a right to expect that his or her vote to be counted.
WB: You have a pretty decent commute from Woodbury to the Capitol, but how has all this “recount” stuff affected the amount of time spent with your family?
JG: I have four children and a very loving wife, one who has been very supportive of me. What I regret the most, because of the recount, is that the job has taken time away from my home life.
WB: Have you guaranteed your wife that this will be the last recount for a while?
JG: (Laughs) I wish I could give her that guarantee, but this is definitely something that when I took this job I never expected to experience. I guess I realized this was always a possibility, but the fact there has never been a recount like this since 1962, it was pretty good odds there wouldn’t be one this year.
WB: I bet it’s exciting though, to know that you have a pretty important role in an even that will end up being a piece of Minnesota history.
JG: I am honored to have this job. Very excited about being a part of something that will be remembered by Minnesotans for generations. People will be talking about this for many years to come, regardless of how it turns out it’s a historic moment in Minnesota history, especially given all the challenges facing the nation. Who is going to represent Minnesota in the United States Senate is such an important question. And its so important that we make sure who ever received the most votes, even if it’s only two votes more than the other candidate, that individual is sent Washington D.C. to represent us.
WB: What about a one-vote victory?
JG: (Laughs) Now that would be close.
Tags: news, woodbury, gelbmann, recount, dayton
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