Board will review disputed ballots in Lake Delhi vote

Residents of the Lake Delhi area of northeast Iowa voted Tuesday on whether or not to become a city, but the results are still being decided. Unofficial totals from the election show 272 people voted yes, 252 no, and 403 additional votes are being challenged. A three-member challenge board will meet this afternoon at the Delaware County Courthouse to determine which of those challenged ballots will be counted. The votes are being challenged because of the concern that some of the voters are not actual residents of the Lake Delhi district. The Vote Yes For Lake Delhi Committee challenged 352 of the 534 absentee ballots, along with 46 ballots that were cast election night at the Delhi Community Center. Concerned Citizens For An Informed Vote, which is the committee working to defeat the cityhood proposal, challenged only five votes. The challenge over voter irregularities comes as no big surprise to Lake Delhi area residents. Since the election was announced earlier this summer, the Lake Delhi district has been divided by the issue, with voting signs vandalized and minor disputes. If a simple majority approves, Lake Delhi will become Iowa’s 949th city.