Election outcomes the same, as primary election becomes ‘official’

No election outcomes changed as votes were canvassed and official results were announced today for the Wyandotte County primary election.

Frances Sheppard, assistant election commissioner, said the final turnout was 14.36 percent, with a total of 12,758 votes cast.

The mayor’s contest official votes showed Tyrone Garner with 3,575 votes to incumbent Mayor David Alvey’s 3,527. Garner’s lead was about 60 votes on election night, and was trimmed to 48 votes in the official count today.

There were 176 provisional ballots, of which 124 were counted today and 52 did not qualify, Sheppard said.

Those that were not counted included some with errors, such as the voter didn’t sign the affidavit. Sheppard said the election office called these voters and gave them the opportunity to sign the ballot before today’s canvass, but some did not respond.

An election post-audit was held a couple of days after the election, with no changes found, she said. In the post-audit, one contest is chosen at random and results are hand-counted, then compared with the election night totals.

Sheppard said candidates have until 5 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 17, to request a recount. As of 3 p.m. Monday, no one had requested a recount, she added.

One candidate, Tscher “Cece” Manck, has been posting videos on her social media pages stating that there must have been some additional votes for her that were not counted. She ran for the Unified Government Commissioner, 8th District, position, and received 117 votes on Aug. 3, election night, then 122 votes in unofficial results Aug. 6, and 123 votes after today’s canvass. She had many questions, and her videos called for investigations into the election.

Unofficial results on Aug. 6 included some ballots that were sent in the mail on Tuesday, Aug. 3, and arrived by Friday, Aug. 6.

The election office did not find many additional votes for Manck, and Sheppard said that no agencies are investigating.

Receiving the most votes in the UG Commission, 8th District, contest was Andrew Davis with 550, followed by incumbent Jane Winkler Philbrook with 458.

The election office currently is getting ready for the Nov. 2 election, Sheppard said.

The election will include the mayor’s contest, as well as some UG Commission offices, Board of Public Utilities seats, sheriff, as well as elections for the four public school boards in Wyandotte County, the Kansas City Kansas Community College Board of Trustees, as well as city positions in Bonner Springs and Edwarsdville.

The last day to register to vote for the election is Oct. 12, she said.

The election office will start mailing out ballots on Oct. 13, which is 20 days before the election, she said.

Those who want to receive advance ballots by mail need to send in a separate application for the mail ballot. An application is on the election office’s website at https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56606b47e4b0b9403ad6ff96/t/5c703309e5e5f09473494200/1550856969456/AV1wc_Mail_2018.pdf.

The only advance voters who don’t have to fill out the separate application are those who are on a permanent sick and disabled list, she added.

The election office also is planning early voting in person at select locations, as well as voting in person at all polling places from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 2.

Election updates will be posted at wycovotes.org, Sheppard said.