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Lake Wales canvassing board accepts two provisional ballots, rejects two; approves results and selects precinct for manual audit
Summary
The City of Lake Wales Municipal Election Canvassing Board reviewed four provisional ballots — accepting two and rejecting two — approved amended vote totals read by election staff, and selected Precinct 526 for a manual audit required by state statute.
Chair Robin Gibson called the City of Lake Wales Municipal Election Canvassing Board to order and led members through a review of provisional ballots, the board’s certification of amended vote totals, and the selection of a precinct for a state-required manual audit.
The board reviewed four provisional ballots brought after Election Day. Supervisor of Elections staff recommended accepting two provisional ballots whose voters lacked photo ID but whose signatures matched registration records; the board moved to accept those two and voted unanimously to do so. Two other provisional ballots were recommended for rejection: one because the voter was not registered, and one because the voter lived outside city limits. The board voted unanimously to reject both of those ballots. The board chair noted rejected ballots are kept with other election materials in a secure vault for two years.
After accepting the two provisional ballots, canvass members opened and inspected the accepted ballots. Election staff read the ballots aloud; the board then approved amended totals provided by staff and moved to accept those counts as the official final results. The board’s motion to approve the amended counts passed unanimously.
As part of the post-election procedures, the board conducted a random selection to pick a contest and precinct for a manual audit. Supervisor of Elections staff told the board the manual audit selection is required by state statute. The board selected the amendment contest for the May 26 listing and chose Precinct 526; staff said the manual audit will be performed Tuesday at the Supervisor of Elections office, where canvass members may observe staff's hand count to confirm the machine totals.
Discussion at the meeting included clarification from staff about how nonregistered and out-of-city voters are identified after polls close, the process for sealing and returning rejected ballots, and the logistics of observing the manual hand count. The meeting concluded after the board completed the canvass items and selected the precinct for the manual audit.
