By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
The city clerk’s office will count absentee and questioned ballots in the Oct. 5 election starting at noon Friday.
City Clerk Sara Peterson said 108 mail-in/fax ballots; 663 in-person advanced; and 21 ballots by personal representative have been received. After they’re counted the results will be added to the totals from the 907 ballots cast by voters on election day.
The absentee count will take place at Harrigan Centennial Hall, where the room is divided between the counting area and a space for the public.
Last year it took five hours to count the absentee ballots, but Peterson said that with about half as many to count in this year’s election, it should go more quickly on Friday.
The results will be unofficial until certified by the Assembly at the October 12 meeting.
Dave Miller has a solid lead for one of the two open Assembly seats. For the second seat, Kevin Mosher, the incumbent, is holding a 32-vote lead over Rachel Moreno, 478-446.
In the election day count an advisory question on whether to sell the old city hospital properties received a 2-1 margin in favor of selling, with 574 (65.7 percent) in favor; and 300 (34.3 percent) against, making it improbable that the outcome will be changed by the absentee count.
The absentee ballots will not affect the outcome of the School Board election, in which Todd Gebler and Amy Morrison, the incumbent, were the only candidates for the two open seats.
