Anna Maria’s final election results were delayed for two days by a challenge from Chuck Webb, but the final tally did not change the outcome of the three-way race.
Political newcomer Brian Seymour, relying on a campaign to help put the city on a path forward, earned 494 votes, topping incumbent Commissioner Nancy Yetter’s 493 votes. She was re-elected to a third two-year term. Incumbent Commissioner Webb received 391 votes and lost his bid for re-election.
The swearing-in ceremony for Yetter and Seymour is tentatively scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 30, which is the next city commission meeting.
A number of Anna Maria voters — almost 30 — were surprised Nov. 8 when they arrived to the polling place to find their voting rights challenged — even more so when they learned Webb filed the challenges.
Webb filed 96 voter challenges the day before Election Day, requesting 16 mail-in ballots and 80 names on the voter rolls be excluded from the pre-certification results on election night. Of the 80 poll challenges, 28 voters cast provisional ballots at the polls.
Bob Patten, who has lived in Anna Maria for two years and served on the Anna Maria City Pier Park Committee, said he and wife Kathy went to the polls at 7:30 a.m. Nov. 8 to vote, only to be told their right to vote had been challenged by Webb. They voted by provisional ballot.
Webb alleged to the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections that the Pattens and others were vacation rental owners, or had sold their house or moved, and did not really reside in Anna Maria.
While the Patten property on Gladiolus Street was previously a vacation rental, the couple has occupied the home full time since 2014. The Manatee County Property Appraisal records show the property qualified for a homestead exemption.
Webb called Patten later Nov. 8 and apologized for claiming the home was a vacation rental, Patten said.
Supervisor of Elections Mike Bennett reviewed the challenges.
Voters who cast their ballots early or through mail-in were already counted and could not be pulled, Bennett said.
Of the 28 provisional ballots cast, 25 were accepted and added to the final count. Three were found to be legitimate challenges and the voters were given the opportunity to cast their votes in Holmes Beach, which was determined to be their city of residence.
Webb did not respond to multiple requests for comment, and was absent from the Nov. 10 city commission meeting.