Lyon County finally knows who its new clerk will be.
Lyon County Clerk Karen Hartenbower announced at noon today that Tammy Vopat won by 56 votes. The final total was 6,188 to 6,132.
The commission, meeting as the board of canvassers, spent the morning considering provisional and contested votes cast in Lyon County precincts.
There was a possibility that the canvass would change the results in the county clerk’s race. By 10:30 a.m., with all but 69 provisional ballots counted, county clerk candidates Vopat and Mike Dorcey were separated by only 58 votes. Vopat, who was declared the apparent winner Tuesday night, still held the lead.
“They are counting as we talk,” County Clerk Karen Hartenbower said. “That (county clerk’s race) might change. We don’t know.”
At a 2:30 p.m. press conference today, Dorcey said he does not plan on challenging the results. However, he has until noon Monday to decide.
Other races that were close were the county commission races.
“The previous winners are still the winners,” Hartenbower said, adding that the remaining ballots will not change those results.
Dorcey and Vopat were both observing the canvass, which was done in the commission room of the Lyon County Courthouse.
“What’s happening is what we expected to happen,” Dorcey said. “... that provisional ballots would help me, but the question was how much? At this point it’s looking like it (won’t) be enough.”
“All we can do is just wait for the results,” Vopat said. “It’s very, very intense.”
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.
The morning began with the canvassers voting to count 458 provisional ballots and not to count 109 others.
Provisional ballots are those issued to voters who are not clearly registered in the district they are voting in. Reasons can include move, name changes, being directed to the wrong precinct or — for newly registered voters — failing to present proper identification.
Hartenbower said the provisional ballots that were not being counted were ruled out for various reasons, including refusal to complete a registration card, not registered in Lyon County or Kansas or not being on the Department of Motor Vehicles records. One voter had an error on the touch screen, she said, and one filled out a registration form after the deadline.
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