Second Recount of Absentee and Early Ballots Results in Same Numbers

At approximately 7:00 p.m. on November 11, the Wakulla County Canvassing Board began the second recount of the absentee and early ballots for the Wakulla County Sheriff race. After performing the first count earlier in the day, the numbers on the scanning machine counters showed two more ballots than were originally accounted for. Since the count on the ballots generated at the precincts on the day of the general election were reconciling, and the over and undervote counts were correct, it was assumed that the problem must lie somewhere with the absentee and early ballots.

{sidebar id=1}This led the canvassing board to make the decision to run the 8000+ absentee and early ballots through the machines for a second time to see if the numbers would come out correctly. The Division of Elections requires that all numbers must be reconciled before the election results can be officially completed. By the time the second recount had been completed just after midnight in the early morning hours of Tuesday, November 12, the canvassing board still came up with two ballots too many.

Wakulla County Judge Jill Walker, chairman of the canvassing board, suggested that several ballots may have been read twice by accident, which could explain the plus two.

After the second count was completed, and it was evident that the ballot numbers were still off by two, Judge Walker announced that the canvassing board will reconvene on Wednesday to try to come to a final resolution.

Prior to the recount, incumbent Sheriff David F. Harvey led opponent Charlie Creel by 48 votes in the race. These numbers still hold until the recount is officially over.

This information updated on November 12, 2008.

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