Story County supervisors certify Nov. 4 city and school election results, approve Resolution 26-32

The Story County Board of Supervisors, sitting as the county’s board of canvassers, met Nov. 12, 2025, approved Resolution 26-32 and certified results from the Nov. 4 city and school elections for jurisdictions wholly inside Story County.

County Auditor Lucy Martin told the board the canvass covered cities and school districts contained entirely in Story County and that multi-county races would be canvassed at a follow-up session next Tuesday at 9 a.m. She said 12 provisional ballots were submitted in the election and two were accepted by the absentee board and counted.

"It's a real group effort," Martin said, thanking election technicians, temporary workers who processed absentee ballots, league volunteers who helped with satellite voting and poll workers who staffed Election Day.

Martin reported roughly a 16% turnout countywide, placing this cycle between a 21% high in 2021 and about a 10.5% low two years ago. She said early voting averaged 49 voters per day during the 14 days available and that City of Nevada voters comprised about 35% of total absentees and roughly 40% of walk-in traffic.

The auditor said the board would declare three write-in winners at the meeting — two in the City of Collins and one in the City of Macksburg — and summarized that all public measures before the board exceeded required thresholds. Martin specifically cited the Nevada School District physical plant and equipment levy, a City of Ames measure to fund a new fire station, and a Story City measure to change its library board makeup, which she reported received about 92% yes votes.

A post-election audit was scheduled for Friday at 9 a.m., during which staff will hand-count Washington Township ballots (about 10–11 ballots), Martin said and invited board members to observe.

The board approved Resolution 26-32 after a motion by a board member recorded as Speaker 3 and a second by the chair. During the vote the board recorded verbal 'Aye' responses from Supervisors Feisal and Merkin and the chair announced the resolution carried. Later, the same members voted 'Aye' when the board moved to "declare the canvass complete and to certify the results of the election to the appropriate jurisdictions," a motion the chair also announced as carried.

Martin noted personnel transitions: longtime elections worker Kevin Norris was participating in his final election for Story County and deputy auditor Victoria Scalinski worked her first election in that role. An open house for Norris was announced for Dec. 12 at 1 p.m. in the same meeting room.

Martin also said the county had added mandatory open meetings and open records training for anyone newly elected to a city or school office; the transcript names "IPB and some other entities" as providers.

The meeting closed after a motion to adjourn and brief closing remarks thanking staff.