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Hand recount conducted Sunday in judge's race
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| Columbia County assistant supervisor of elections Jean Lear (standing, center) goes over instructions with canvassing board members of the office staff Sunday as they prepare to start a manual ballot recount. TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter |
Final totals from district available today.
By TONY BRITT
tbritt@lakecityreporter.com
Despite a weekend with automated and a manual ballot recount, the winner in the Third Judicial Circuit Court Judge Group 4 race won’t be officially declared until this afternoon.
On Sunday, supervisor of elections office officials in the seven counties of the Third Judicial Circuit conducted manual recounts to determine a winner in the race, as required by Florida statutes.
Members of the Columbia County canvassing board gathered with supervisor of elections’ office staff and conducted the manual recount.
As a result of the manual recount, Greg Parker received 12 more votes than originally counted; Chris Craun received seven more votes and Thomas Stone received nine more votes.
During Friday’s automated recount by voter machines Parker captured 40.62 percent of the local vote to win Columbia County in his bid to become a circuit court judge. Craun had 39.19 percent of the vote and Thomas Stone had 20.19 percent of the vote.
In Tuesday’s election totals, Parker won the race district-wide with a 50.1 percent margin. Stone was a district second in the race district-wide. A recount was called for to determine if there was enough change to reduce Parker’s percentage total and trigger a runoff election in November.
Election results, manual and automated, from the other six counties in the Third Judicial Circuit were not available at press time Monday.
“Those results have to all be in by Tuesday and the state (officials) will meet together at 5 p.m. and declare the winner then,” said Columbia County Supervisor of Elections Liz Horne.
Horne said the manual recount was needed because state officials were not satisfied with the “over” and “under” ballot counts.
An “undervote” is when a voter fails to vote for any of the candidates listed in a particular race on a ballot; while an “overvote” is when a voter votes for one or more candidates in a particular race.
“This is the first time I’ve ever experienced a manual recount in the years that I’ve worked in the elections’ office,” Horne said.
During the manual recount, local elections officials counted 1,247 ballots by hand. The manual recount began at 5 p.m. Sunday and lasted about two hours.
Horne said there will be no more recounts in the Third Judicial Circuit Court Judge Group 4 race.
“Whatever is decided this time will be the final answer,” she said. “Whether that means its close enough they have to go on to November (general election) or it means they will declare a winner. It’s going to be one of the two ways.”
During Friday’s automated recount by voter machines Parker captured 40.62 percent of the local vote to win Columbia County in his bid to become a circuit court judge. Craun had 39.19 percent of the vote and Thomas Stone had 20.19 percent of the vote.
On Sunday, supervisor of elections office officials in the seven counties of the Third Judicial Circuit conducted manual recounts to determine a winner in the race, as required by Florida statutes.
Members of the Columbia County canvassing board gathered with supervisor of elections’ office staff and conducted the manual recount.
As a result of the manual recount, Greg Parker received 12 more votes than originally counted; Chris Craun received seven more votes and Thomas Stone received nine more votes.
During Friday’s automated recount by voter machines Parker captured 40.62 percent of the local vote to win Columbia County in his bid to become a circuit court judge. Craun had 39.19 percent of the vote and Thomas Stone had 20.19 percent of the vote.
In Tuesday’s election totals, Parker won the race district-wide with a 50.1 percent margin. Stone was a district second in the race district-wide. A recount was called for to determine if there was enough change to reduce Parker’s percentage total and trigger a runoff election in November.
Election results, manual and automated, from the other six counties in the Third Judicial Circuit were not available at press time Monday.
“Those results have to all be in by Tuesday and the state (officials) will meet together at 5 p.m. and declare the winner then,” said Columbia County Supervisor of Elections Liz Horne.
Horne said the manual recount was needed because state officials were not satisfied with the “over” and “under” ballot counts.
An “undervote” is when a voter fails to vote for any of the candidates listed in a particular race on a ballot; while an “overvote” is when a voter votes for one or more candidates in a particular race.
“This is the first time I’ve ever experienced a manual recount in the years that I’ve worked in the elections’ office,” Horne said.
During the manual recount, local elections officials counted 1,247 ballots by hand. The manual recount began at 5 p.m. Sunday and lasted about two hours.
Horne said there will be no more recounts in the Third Judicial Circuit Court Judge Group 4 race.
“Whatever is decided this time will be the final answer,” she said. “Whether that means its close enough they have to go on to November (general election) or it means they will declare a winner. It’s going to be one of the two ways.”
During Friday’s automated recount by voter machines Parker captured 40.62 percent of the local vote to win Columbia County in his bid to become a circuit court judge. Craun had 39.19 percent of the vote and Thomas Stone had 20.19 percent of the vote.
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| It's Hanna's turn |
