Board receives election canvas; drawing resolves tie for City of Odo council seat

Deputy Commissioner of Elections Steve Hoffmeyer presented the canvas for the city/school election and asked the county board to receive and sign the abstracts and certificates. Hoffmeyer reported, “We had 10 provisional ballots, from election day. 8 of those were accepted,” and described four after‑election absentee ballots that were rejected as received too late.

Hoffmeyer said the City of Odo council contest had three positions up and that write‑ins produced a three‑way tie for one seat, prompting the county to decide the outcome by drawing. “So I’m gonna need you to vote or, sorry, to draw to see who the winner is gonna be for that,” he told the board; later he announced, “So he drew Stephanie Durrell.” The board received the canvas, signed the abstracts and certificates, and recorded the result.

The presentation included specific ballot-handling notes: one provisional ballot was rejected for lack of proper identification and another was rejected because the voter had cast their ballot in the wrong precinct, a reason Hoffmeyer said requires rejection under precinct rules. Hoffmeyer reiterated the statutory deadline for absentee ballots to arrive in the elections office — ballots must be in the office by 8 p.m. on election night — as the reason the four after‑election absentee ballots were rejected.

Board members voted to receive the canvas and to sign the certificates. The draw to resolve the tie implemented the tie‑breaking method described by election staff and produced a named winner for the contested seat. No formal protest or further challenge was recorded during the meeting.