Allen County’s Nov. 5 election results were finalized Thurday when commissioners met in special session with County Clerk Shannon Patterson to perform the official canvass.
Patterson presented commissioners with 120 provisional ballots, which are those given to voters when there is some question about eligibility.
The most common instances where a provisional ballot is necessary is when there is an address or name change, or the voter failed to provide photographic identification at the polls.
Of the 120 provisional ballots, commissioners approved 41 and rejected 79. Most of the rejected ballots were either canceled voters or not registered at all. Patterson explained to commissioners that a canceled voter means they requested to be taken off the voter rolls or they have relocated.
In addition to the canceled voters, Patterson noted one advanced vote ballot was returned after Election Day with no postmark.
“We also had an advanced vote with no signature,” she said. “We did try to remedy that by taking it to the nursing home to find the voter. However, the voter was put into the hospital and we were not told which hospital.”
Forty-two of the rejected ballots were from individuals who are actively registered in other Kansas counties. “According to the Secretary of State’s office, those do not count because they were not actively registered in Allen County at the time,” said Patterson.
None of the previously published election results were affected by the addition of the provisional ballots.
There were two county positions that resulted in ties. Deer Creek Treasurer saw a two-way tie with two votes each, while the Deer Creek Trustee position had a 10-way tie, all receiving one vote. Patterson had Commissioner David Lee draw names for each position to resolve the ties.
Larry Buck will be appointed Deer Creek Treasurer and Gene Hartman will serve as Deer Creek Trustee.
