Provisional ballots from Marion County’s August 6th county general and state primary election were counted Monday evening at the Marion County Election Commission, settling any remaining uncertainty in a closely watched County Commission race decided by just two votes.
According to the Valley Votes Facebook page and its creator, Kerri Brewer, Marion County had 23 provisional ballots cast during this election cycle.
Of those, 10 ballots were approved and counted, while 13 were rejected. Ballots may be rejected when a voter does not provide the required proof within the allotted time or for other eligibility reasons, such as failing to register before the voter registration deadline.
A provisional ballot is used when questions about a voter’s eligibility cannot be resolved at the polling place on Election Day. This can happen when someone has recently changed addresses, cannot provide sufficient proof that they live where voter registration records indicate, has been removed from the voter rolls, or when another question concerning registration or eligibility must be verified by election officials.
Voters who cast provisional ballots have two business days following the election to visit the election commission office and provide any documentation needed to establish their eligibility. Election officials then determine whether the ballot can legally be counted.
Particular attention Monday was focused on the Marion County Commission District 2, Seat B contest.
Independent candidate Chuck Keef held a razor-thin two-vote advantage over independent candidate Pixie Kilgore following the election.
Two of the provisional ballots approved Monday came from the precinct that includes the District 2, Seat B race. However, both ballots were undervotes in that contest, meaning neither voter cast a vote in the commission race.
An undervote occurs when a voter makes fewer selections in a particular contest than the number allowed. For example, a voter may choose to skip a single-choice race entirely or, in a contest where voters may select three candidates, vote for only one or two.
Voters have the right to leave individual races blank. Unlike an overvote, an undervote does not invalidate the remainder of the ballot, and votes properly cast in other contests are still counted.
Because neither of the two applicable provisional ballots contained a vote in the District 2, Seat B contest, the two-vote margin remained unchanged.
Keef has now been certified as the winner of the race.
The provisional ballots had the potential to change the outcome. Had both applicable ballots contained votes for Kilgore, the contest would have ended in a tie, which would have required the County Commission to determine the outcome under the applicable procedure.
Brewer said the extraordinarily close race serves as another reminder to voters of the importance of participating in elections: every single little vote counts.
