Recount may be necessary in city race
It’s possible Leavenworth County election officials will recount votes cast Tuesday for Tonganoxie City Council.
In Tuesday’s primary election, voters were to narrow the field of seven city council candidates to four. But the fourth-highest vote totals actually belonged to two candidates — James Truesdell and Mike Weston — each of whom received 80 votes.
“I don’t think there’s anything in the law for five candidates to go on to the general election,” said Leavenworth County Clerk Linda Scheer.
County commissioners will meet at 9:30 a.m. Friday to canvass the votes. And the decision to recount ballots rests with the commission.
Before a recount is held, provisional ballots must be counted.
If results are still close, it’s likely a recount would be launched, Scheer said.
“You just don’t know,” she said. “Sometimes, you wonder, did the scanner work well, are there other problems.”
This situation is unusual, Scheer said.
“When your voter turnout is low, this is what happens,” she said. “You have a much better chance for an extremely tight race.”
If votes are still tied, the outcome will be determined by drawing straws, she said.
According to results Tuesday night from Scheer’s office, Ron Cranor, Lois Seelbinder and Velda Roberts will advance in the council race.
City council candidates’ vote totals were: Cranor, 119; Seelbinder, 97; Roberts, 84; Truesdell, 80; Weston, 80; Jonathan Boone, 45; and Tammy Bartels, 40.
In the mayor’s race, these two candidates will advance to the April 1 general election: Herb Robbins and David Taylor. Mayoral candidates’ vote totals were: Robbins, 123; Taylor, 91; and Ron Kampfer, 84.
In the race for Tonganoxie school board position No. 1 (the southern portion of the city of Tonganoxie), these two candidates will move onto the general election: Rick Lamb and Joel Stinson. School board position No. 1 candidates’ vote totals were: Lamb, 163; Stinson, 44; and Brian Daily, 38.