HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Reno County Deputy Elections Clerk Jenna Fager is dealing with a hand recount of only the advance walk-in ballots from Tuesday's primary election, as a random audit of 11 precincts on Friday found discrepancies in numbers related to the Republican State Treasurer's race.
The election day voting audit was correct, so the hand count, which is being conducted by nine election boards of three people each, is only of the around 3500 ballots that were cast at the Reno County Annex prior to election day.
The hope is to finish the hand count today, so that the canvass can happen on schedule Thursday morning with the Board of County Commissioners. However, if the hand count stretches into later in the week, then Fager said they may have to push the canvass back to Monday the 15th.
The tight Reno County District 1 county commission race had its count come out correct, so at this point, that race still has Randy Parks in front by six votes. However, all races will be counted again for the walk-in advance ballots that are being looked at anyway.
The Republican State Treasurer's race is too close to call on the state level at this point as it is, so every vote will likely matter. Fager intends to update Hutch Post later in the day as to the progress of the hand count.