CHENEY – A recount of Cheney precinct 9014 ballots in the Feb. 13 special election remain unchanged following a requested recount.
Election Manager Mike McLaughlin confirmed that Spokane County elections officials conducted the recount March 27 of precinct ballots cast for two levies and a bond measure.
“No change,” McLaughlin said last week.
Sharon Berg, one of the precinct residents who requested the recount, declined to comment on why she was involved.
“The newspapers are kind of biased to a certain view,” she said. “I just don’t want to participate (comment for the story).”
Stanley J. Burke, another requester in the recount said it was requested by resident Bill Johns; he didn’t say why.
At the Spokane County Canvassing Board meeting on March 28, Johns shared his observations and concerns regarding the electoral process.
Johns said he appreciated the opportunity to observe the ballot counting, but expressed several reservations.
He mentioned being denied access to examine the computer program used for ballot counting and noted discrepancies in paper ballots.
Despite the hand count of Precinct 9014 matching the machine count, Johns highlighted the small sample size relative to the total number of ballots cast in the election, questioning its validity as a test of the machine counting system.
He also advocated for greater transparency in the filing system to expedite retrieval of ballots.
Despite his concerns, the results stand as tallied.
For precinct 9014, for Proposition 1, 151 voted for and 138 voted against, meaning it passed by simple majority. For Proposition 2, 139 voted for and 148 voted against, meaning it failed.
For Proposition 3, 148 voted for and 130 voted against, meaning it passed by simple majority.
Clare is an Eastern Washington University graduate and a reporter at Free Press Publishing.
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