Vote count among slowest
Staff writer
It took Marion County until 1:45 a.m. last Wednesday to tabulate election votes — making the county one of the last six counties in the state to get election results.
Other counties in the region, both small and large, tabulated election results much sooner.
On election night, County Clerk Ashley Herpich blamed the delay on “a big turnout” with 67% of registered voters.
She added that her staff was doing everything carefully.
Approached about the delay last Thursday, she told a reporter to send questions by email. As of Tuesday night, she still had not responded.
The number of write-in votes also has not been released even though one race, for county attorney, hinges on those votes.
This election is not the first time vote-counting has been unusually slow in the county. Despite low turnout, preliminary results in August were not available until 1:40 a.m. That delay was blamed on equipment problems that supposedly were resolved before the general election.
County commissioners will canvass votes at 9 a.m. Friday.
Marion County’s delays in vote counting were not the norm in neighboring counties despite equally large turnouts there.
Deputy Morris County Clerk Chadelyn Garrett said votes in the 5,334-population county were counted by 9:30 p.m. on election day.
Garrett said the county had a 69% voter turnout.
Dickinson County Clerk Jeanne Livingston said the county, with a population of 18,445, had 65% turnout.
Counting was finished by 11 p.m. Votes will be canvassed Thursday.
Chase County Clerk Connie Pretzer said ballots already have been canvassed for the 2,579-population county.
Voter turnout was 78.79% and counting was completed by 7:35 p.m. election night.
Saline County Clerk Jamie Doss said the 61.57% of registered voters turned out at the polls. Saline County’s population is 53,098.
Counting was completed by 10 p.m. That might be due to the county having tabulators at each precinct.
Harvey County, population 33,504, had a 70% voter turnout including provisional voters.
County clerk and election officer Rick Piepho said votes were tabulated by 10 p.m. and staff members were out of the office by 10:30 p.m. despite having to redo some ballots.
“We had a bit of a delay getting our initial count done,” Piepho said. “Our scanned count didn’t line up, so we backed up and did some of it again.”
Butler County, population 68,632, had votes counted by 10 p.m., deputy county Clerk Tammy Bridges said. Voter turnout was 64%.