The election isn’t over in Lyon County

Check my blog live from the Lyon County Courthouse this morning. Nope…it’s STILL not over in Lyon County.

10:39 a.m.

It will be after lunch before Lyon County knows who the new Lyon County Clerk will be. The final 69 provisional votes are being counted. There will be a press conference at 2:30 p.m. today. There is a 58-vote difference between Vopat and Dorcey.

“They are counting as we talk,” Hartenbower said. “That (county clerk’s race) might change. We don’t know.”

Candidates will have until Monday to decide whether they want to challenge the results.

Other races that were close was the county commission races.

“The previous winners are still the winners,” Hartenbower said, adding that the remaining ballots will not change those results.

10:27 a.m.

With the candidate margin narrowed, candidates express their feelings on the pending results.

“All we can do is just wait for the results,” Vopat said. “It’s very, very intense.”

With all but 69 provisional ballots counted, Vopat has a slight lead over Dorcey.

“What’s happening is what we expected to happen,” Dorcey said. “..is that provisional ballots would help me but the question was how much. At this point it’s looking like it (won’t) be enough.”

Dorcey has the option to challenge the results. He didn’t say whether he would exercise that right. He said it depends on what how the final numbers end up.

10:15 a.m.

All but 69 provisional ballots have been run through the tabulator machine. This narrows the Lyon County Clerk race between Michael Dorcey and Tammy Vopat to a 58-vote margin. Vopat is still ahead of Dorcey. The remaning ballots will have to be hand counted and those will not be ready by 10:30 today, when commissers are set to re-convene.

9:30 a.m.

Commissioners have recessed for an hour to allow time for the provisional votes to be tabulated. There are 458 provisional ballots that will be counted and 60 of those will have to be hand-counted. Results from the hand-counted votes likely will not be known today.

9:10 a.m.

Commissioners and verifying numbers of each polling place with Lyon County Clerk Karen Hartenbower. This is done by verifying the total number of signatures and how each person voted.

9:08 a.m.

Commissioners have voted 3-0 to not count 109 provisional ballots for various reasons including voters not registered in Lyon County or Kansas, voters not on the DMV records, one had an error on the touch screen and one filled out a registration form after the deadline.

9 a.m.

Lyon County Commissioners have voted to count nine ballots of 26 original ballots that were hadn’t been put in either the count stack or the suggested no-count stack. The nine that the commissioners voted to count were five that were received after Nov. 4 but were postmarked before Nov. 4; two that were received after Nov. 4 by service personnel but were postmarked by Nov. 4; and two that were returned to polling places.

Commissioners are now looking at the remaining provisional ballots.

8:55 a.m.

Of the 109 provisional ballots that Lyon County Clerk Karen Hartenbower suggested not be counted, eight people failed to provide identification documents when voting or afterwards.

“We can’t prove that they are who they say they are,” Hartenbower said.

Hartenbower suggested that the others not be counted for various reasons including refusal to complete a registration card, not registered in Lyon County or Kansas, not on the DMV records, one had an error on the touch screen and one filled out a registration form after the deadline.

8:45 a.m.

The Lyon County voting canvass is underway. Commissioners have voted 3-0 to count 458 provisional ballots. They have not voted on what to do with an additional 109 provisional ballots.

The provisional ballot breakdown is as follows:

Out of 458 provisional:

• 332 moved with a previous registration in the county; completed a new registration form

• 4 married with a previous registration in the county; completed a new registration form

• 13 married and moved with a previous registration in the county; completed a new registration form

• 9 registered and advance voted at the same time while registration books open

• 4 provisional ballot erroneously administered by board worker or election official

• 60 voted in an incorrect precinct either due to time constraints or board worker error

• 28 voter not on registration books; claimed to have registered at the Driver’s License Office; claim substantiated by DMV

• 1 voter issued federal service ballot by mail, not received. Voted at polls

• 2 board worker error: failed to have registered voter complete a new registration form

• 2 incomplete registration forum could not be completed timely and therefore not on registration book

• 2 new registrant lacked ID when voting. Provided to board later that same day

• 1 election officer error: registered voter incorrectly identified on the registration list as having received an advance ballot

• 8 failed to provide sufficient identification document either when voting or afterwards within the time allowed by law

• 1 failed (refused) to complete a registration application card as required to vote a provisional ballot

• 29 not already registered anywhere in the county; not eligible to vote a provisional ballot under Kansas law

• 50 not already registered anywhere in Kansas; not eligible to vote a provisional ballot under Kansas law

• 3 voter registered in another county in Kansas voted in Lyon County instead of home country

• 15 claim of registration of DMV office could not be substantiated

• 1 voter decided not to vote after being issued a provisional ballot

• 1 voter error on touch screen; voter insisted on being issued another ballot

• 1 registered form received after the Oct. 20, 2008, deadline. voter previously registered in another county in Kansas.