With Just a Two Vote Difference, Lake County Waiting to Count Provisional Ballots for Ronan Levy

Tuesday was Election Day, but folks in Lake County still don’t know the outcome of an $85,000 bond that was on the ballot to hire more police officers in Ronan. Lake County Elections Coordinator Kathie Newgard explains.

"The race for the safety levy for the city of Ronan has a two vote difference," said Newgard. "What we have to do is wait until Monday when every county in the state runs their provisional ballots and then we will see whether it spreads the gap and takes it outside the margin to ask for a request or whether it could even make it tighter."

Newgard went on to describe where the soon-to-be-counted provisional ballots come from.

"Provisional ballots that are voted at the polls on Election Day are usually people who have been issued an absentee ballot and then for whatever reason ended up not voting that ballot," Newgard said. 'They go to the polls and have to vote a provisional ballot just to make sure they don't vote two ballots."

Even if outcome is just one vote different, a recount may not occur. Newgard says the only way a recount would be required by law is if the vote comes down to a complete tie.