Provisional ballots canvassed, same outcome

Tammy Helm/Tribune photo Bourbon County Clerk Kendell Mason reads information explaining why a ballot was placed in a provisional category during the official ballot canvass on Monday. Election Officer Maggie Wolf assisted Mason. County Attorney Justin Meeks, left, filled in for Commission Chair Barbara Albright, who recused herself from the official canvass. Also pictured are Third District Commissioner Harold Coleman and First District Commissioner Lynne Oharah, right.

The official canvass of the provisional ballots for the Aug. 2 primary election does not change the results of the election.

With no Democrats in the running, Jeff Fischer will become the new second district commissioner in January after unseating Barbara Albright 321-307 in the primary election.

Bourbon County Commissioners held the official canvass of the election during a special meeting Monday. The results will not be final until the commissioners sign off on the election during their regular meeting today.

Prior to the canvass, Fischer had also led by 14 points, with 317 votes to Albright's 303 votes. Albright will remain in office until all elected officials are sworn in in January.

This is the second year in a row a county commissioner has been unseated in a primary election. In 2015, Lynne Oharah defeated First District Commissioner Incumbent Allen Warren.

Results for the other Republicans running for the second district commission seat are as follows: Josh Jones, 212 votes (unchanged after the canvass); Robert Query, 84 votes, picking up three in the canvass; and Hazel Swarts, 20 votes (unchanged after the canvass).

The numbers also did not change for the third district commissioner race. Democrat Incumbent Harold Coleman defeated his primary opponent John Allison with 151 votes to 86. Nick Ruhl, who ran unopposed on the Republican ticket, received 305 votes, a gain from the 298 votes counted Aug. 2.

Candidates for sheriff also picked up additional votes after the provisional ballots were counted. Republican Incumbent Bill Martin received 1,170 votes (1,153 before the canvass). He defeated Craig Rice, who received a total of 624 votes (611 before the canvass). Democrat Mike Feagins has a total of 494 votes after the provisional ballots were counted, an increase from the 488 counted on Aug. 2.

There were a total of 2,544 ballots cast in the primary for a 33.69 percent voter turnout. Republicans had a 38.50 percent turnout and Democrats had a 25.44 percent turnout.

Provisional ballots

"Nobody was told they couldn't vote," County Clerk Kendell Mason said.

However, not every vote was counted.

During each election, there is always a number of ballots that may not be counted. Those provisional ballots are placed in envelopes and opened by the canvass board following the election.

There were 67 provisional ballots considered Monday, but only 37 were ultimately counted. Mason and Election Officer Maggie Wolf explained why those ballots were considered provisional.

Whether those ballots should be counted was determined by the canvassing board, which consisted of Commissioners Coleman and Oharah. County Attorney Justin Meeks served in Albright's place after she recused herself from the canvass.

The canvassing board was given election guidelines provided by the Kansas Secretary of State's Office.

Prior to the primary election, the clerk's office mailed ballots to those who made a request for advanced voting by mail. Those ballots were due back to the clerk's office by the time polls closed on Aug. 2. Mason said some ballots were not returned by that time. One ballot was received in the clerk's mail Monday. None of those were counted Monday.

Mason said some voters said they had requested a ballot in the mail, but never received one. Their provisional ballots were counted because Mason said there was no record of a ballot previously cast by those voters.