Hutchinson County canvasses Nov. 4 constitutional amendment returns; minor provisional adjustments noted

Hutchinson County election staff briefed commissioners on the Nov. 4 constitutional amendment returns and the process the county uses to reconcile precinct tapes with the election-management system.

The elections official (Speaker 3) said precinct tapes run on election night can be off from the official election-management system totals when provisional ballots are accepted after the tapes are created. "There will be more in our election management system than there was on the tape because the tape was ran on election night," the elections official said, noting that provisionals that were accepted after election night are entered into the system and become part of the official returns.

The official identified Precincts 11 and 42 as each being off by one vote for that reason and explained the county's early voting ballot board process: provisional ballots are reviewed, a staff member (Carrie Kimball) verifies registration, signatures are checked by the board, and only then are the ballots accepted and included in the official tabulation. "Those provisionals were not accepted until the day after," the official said.

Commissioners were given printed tapes and the election-management reports for review; the official said this review is optional when not performing a hand tally but offered the materials for transparency. After discussion, Speaker 2 moved to approve the canvas of the Nov. 4 constitutional amendment election as presented and the court approved the motion.

The elections staff thanked election workers and volunteers for support during the process; the court signed the canvas and recorded the official returns as presented.