Of the 100 provisional ballots cast in Seward County before and on Nov. 5, Seward County Clerk and Election Commissioner Sherry Schweitzer said only the five provisional ballots cast in Garland’s election have the potential to sway existing race results around the county.
With a vote of 53 in favor and 55 opposed to the addition of a 1% local option sales tax in the small village, the five provisional votes could sway results if the Seward County Board of Canvassers accept at least two of the provisional ballots depending on how those voters marked their ballots.
Schweitzer said prior to the canvassers’ reviews, her staff researches the situations requiring voters to submit provisional ballots, which are offered when voters are not on the registered voters list for a precinct but believe they should be.
Until a provisional ballot is approved by the canvassers, the actual ballot remains sealed in a separate envelope so there is no way to know the impact of any one ballot being counted.
The other precincts in the county for which 95 provisional ballots were submitted do not have races with margins small enough for the number of provisional to change the outcome – whether all provisional ballots are counted or vote in the same way, Schweitzer said.
The canvassers are expected to begin their work on Nov. 7, and Schweitzer said it may be a week before all provisional situations are reviewed and decisions made.
Her office also has write-in candidates to verify and count throughout the county.
The Garland Village Board had three openings on the ballot this year, but only Bryce H. Standley’s name appeared on the ballot. He received 92 votes for the job and Garland voters also cast 105 write-in votes.
Schweitzer said her office will review all write-in votes to determine the other two people who were elected to the board through the write-in process.
