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Calhoun County orders administrative recount after auditor finds precinct off by one ballot
Summary
The Calhoun County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved Resolution 2024-10 on June 7 to order an administrative recount in the 06 Reading, Union and S. Logan precinct after the county auditor reported the precinct’s totals were off by one; the Secretary of State’s Office was notified.
The Calhoun County Board of Supervisors on June 7 unanimously approved Resolution 2024-10 ordering an administrative recount of ballots cast June 4 in the 06 Reading, Union and S. Logan precinct after the county auditor reported the precinct’s tally was off by one.
Robin D. Batz, Calhoun County auditor and commissioner of elections, read a letter asking the board to authorize the recount under Iowa Code 50.50, saying precinct workers' precinct atlas tallies, declaration-of-eligibility slips and the FVS machine total did not match. Batz said her office was notified at 8:30 a.m. on June 4 that the count was off by one and that the Secretary of State’s Office had been informed.
The recount resolution, identified as Resolution 2024-10, was moved by Supervisor Scott Becker and seconded by Supervisor Scott Jacobs and passed with aye votes from Carl Legore (chair), Scott Jacobs and Scott Becker. The resolution authorizes the county auditor to conduct the recount as prescribed by Iowa Code 50.50.
The meeting included public comments critical of county supervisors following the June 4 primary. Todd Essing asked what the meeting was about, and Ryan Hildreth urged the immediate resignation of Supervisors Carl Legore and Scott Becker, saying the public had "clearly lost all trust and confidence in them by the results of the primary election held on June 4 and so they can’t do more damage to the County over the next 6 months." Those calls for resignation were made during the public-comment portion and did not result in formal board action.
The board also approved the meeting agenda and the minutes of the previous meeting by unanimous vote, and on a motion by Becker, seconded by Jacobs, adjourned until the board’s next regular meeting at 9:00 a.m. Tuesday, June 11, 2024.
The administrative recount will be conducted by the county auditor's office as prescribed in the resolution; the resolution text states the recount is being ordered to "ensure the accuracy of the counted votes" due to the reported equipment discrepancy. Details about the timing and procedures for the recount beyond what is stated in the resolution were not specified at the meeting.
