One vote separates second and third place in primary results
by Mary Rupert
After a recount of votes Wednesday resulted in the same outcome, the primary election results were certified this morning. Nathan Barnes was still one vote shy of going on to the general election.
Wyandotte County Election Commissioner Bruce Newby said the recount showed the same results as after the initial voter canvass Monday morning. The recount totals were Melissa Bynum, 1,129; Mark Gilstrap, 1,105; and Nathan Barnes, 1,104; for Unified Government Commissioner, 1st District, at large.
Melissa Bynum, who led in the vote totals by 24 votes, said it would be important to get out to vote in the general election.
“A low voter turnout is going to be indicative of a close race,” Bynum said. “I would love to have a huge voter turnout.
“It’s important for people to understand if this process we’ve been through this week doesn’t highlight the importance of your vote, then you can’t learn that lesson,” Bynum said. It illustrates the importance of a vote as dramatically as anything she’s ever seen, she added.
Mark Gilstrap, who made it to the general election with only one vote to spare, said, “We’re very excited about the end results that we will be moving on to the general election.”
“I tried to impress on my friends before the primary to get out and vote, that every single vote counts. And this is the proof that every vote counts,” Gilstrap said.
If the general election is anything like the primary, it should be a fair and decent process, he said.
Barnes did not attend today’s Board of Canvassers meeting at the Election Office, 850 State Ave. Newby said that he had called Barnes on Thursday to inform him of the vote recount total.
Newby said the votes were counted by hand by precinct for the Unified Government Commissioner, 1st District at large race. A supervising election judge and 12 workers were convened for the recount on Wednesday, March 11, he said.
Two-person teams sorted the ballots cast by precinct, followed by sorting precinct ballots by candidate, and then hand-counted all the ballots, according to the election commissioner. Each sort and count was verified at least twice, Newby said.
Barnes was required to pay a bond in order to do the recount.
Newby said that ballots are scheduled to go out next Wednesday, and he hasn’t been able to print them yet.
For earlier stories, see https://wyandotteonline.com/one-vote-shy-of-advancing-barnes-says-hell-ask-for-vote-recount/
https://wyandotteonline.com/barnes-asks-for-election-recount/
