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NEWS
Cabell County canvassers begin review of primary ballots
HUNTINGTON -- The Cabell County Commission began reviewing provisional ballots on Tuesday that were cast in the county during last week's primary election.
The Board of Canvassers, as it is known, is required by law to review the ballots, results and equipment before the election results are certified. The commission members are Commissioner Bob Bailey, who lost in the Democratic primary for Huntington mayor; Commissioner Scott Bias, who lost in the Democratic primary for sheriff; and Nancy Cartmill, a Republican who ran unopposed for commissioner in the May 13 republican primary.
Bias and Bailey met Tuesday to go over the provisional ballots, after a delay on Monday. Cartmill is on vacation.
Cabell County Clerk Karen Cole said the commission has finished going over the provisional ballots. Following the board's decisions to accept or reject the ballots, it is up to Cole's staff to record the ballot decisions and merge them with the original election night totals.
Cole said a team of counters, consisting of a pair of Democrats and Republicans, also must hand count every vote cast for every candidate in four randomly-selected voting precincts. The team, Cole said, if about halfway done with counting the ballots. Their counts must come within 1 percent of the total number of ballots for the precincts on election night. This process ensures vote totals are correct.
Cole expected final election totals to be finished by 4:30 p.m. today.
Provisional ballots are issued for when a voter is not registered, his or her signature does not match the one in the poll book or when the poll book indicates the person has already voted during the early or absentee voting period.
If voters were required to vote a provisional ballot, they may call the Secretary of State's Office at 866-SOS-VOTE (866-767-8683) or 304-558-6000 after the canvass to find out if their vote was counted.
