Supervisors make election votes official

(Photo by Russ Mitchell) Sylvia Schoer of the Clay County Board of Supervisors draws two names to fill spots on the Sioux Township Board of Trustees. Julie Hansen and John Simmons get first crack at the offices. [Order this photo]

The results from an interesting Election Day became official Wednesday morning when members of the Clay County Board of Supervisors canvassed the numbers and confirmed the Nov. 4 outcomes.

Once again, township positions were a loose end that had to be addressed on Wednesday. Names were drawn out of a container to break a tie among write-ins for three township positions.

The township winners will be called on for a handful of meetings each year to address fire department requests, including equipment purchases and firefighter training. Trustees also oversee the maintenance of countryside cemeteries and address some zoning issues in rural Clay County.

It's common in Clay County to see a few township offices decided by write-in. In some cases, a single vote will be enough to gain office in 2008.

Tim Elser received a pair of votes for the first of two available seats on the Herdland Township Board of Trustees. Four Herdland Township residents received a single write-in vote and were tied for the second township seat. To break the deadlock, board of supervisors member Burlin Matthews of Spencer pulled out the name of Denny Adams to join Elser on the township board. Herdland Township residents live in southeast Clay County and vote in Webb.

Board members also had to break a write-in tie for two seats on the Sioux Township Board of Trustees. Five people received a single vote for two available seats. Supervisor Sylvia Schoer drew the names of Julie Hansen and John Simmons for the positions.

Sioux Township is in east-central Clay County. Voters in that township vote at the VFW Club in Spencer.

Here's a rundown of winners for township offices throughout the county from the Nov. 4 general election:

* Clay Township (2) -- Charles Huberg, 64 votes; Kenneth W. Emmert, 59 votes.

* Douglas Township (2) -- John G. Olson, 87 votes; James G. Larson, 67 votes.

* Freeman Township (2) -- Ervin Harves, 72 votes; Michael White (write-in), 2 votes.

* Garfield Township (2) -- Bennett L. Greene, 58 votes; Robert N. Rust, 51 votes.

* Gillett Grove Township (2) -- Casey Schomaker, 92 votes; Robert Heronemus 89 votes.

* Herdland Township (2) -- Tim Elser (write-in), 2 votes; Denny Adams (write-in), 1 vote. (Adams' name was drawn at canvass to break a four-way tie.)

* Lake Township (2) -- John Metcalf, 57 votes; Adam Metcalf, 55 votes.

* Lake Township (for a vacancy) -- Laura Holt (write-in), 7 votes.

* Lincoln Township (2) -- Brian Batschelet, 84 votes; Jacalyn Haaland (write-in) 6 votes.

* Logan Township (2) -- Curtis C. Salton, 72 votes; Wyatt W. Brinkley, 40 votes. Sharan K. Erick also was on the ballot and received 31 votes.

* Logan Township (for a vacancy) -- Paul Swanson, 74 votes.

* Logan Township Clerk (for a vacancy) -- Dennis King, 68 votes.

* Lone Tree Township (2) -- John Gross, 87 votes; John W. Goeken, 75 votes.

* Meadow Township (2) -- Ken Lawrence, 134 votes; Leland Chamberlain, 117 votes.

* Peterson Township (2) -- Robert W. White, 72 votes; David Johnson (write-in), 2 votes.

* Riverton Township (2) -- Sharon McKeever, 133 votes; Jerry Beck, 97 votes.

* Riverton Township Clerk (for a vacancy) -- Michael R. Johnson, 129 votes.

* Sioux Township (2) -- Julie Hansen (write-in) 1 vote; John Simmons (write-in), 1 vote.(Five residents had a vote. The names of Hansen and Simmons were drawn at canvass to break a tie.)

* Summit Township (2) -- Jim Sonius, 103 votes; Lindell Peterson, 77 votes.

* Waterford Township (2) -- Rodney Boernsen, 86 votes; Janet Hoyt-Boyens, 62 votes.

Elected township residents who don't want board duty have 10 days to decline the office in writing. When the office is declined, the township or county boards typically appoint the person with the next highest number of votes.

Clay County Auditor Marjorie Pitts said poll workers reported a good flow on Election Day. Many felt the precincts were busier, but they may have had that impression due to the return of paper ballots as well as the addition of same-day registration.

"It was a very busy day for all of the polling locations," Pitts said. "People were in line early. As soon as the polls were open, people were ready to vote."

Wednesday's canvass allows absentee ballots that arrived after Election Day to be counted as long as they were postmarked prior to Election Day.

"Depending on where they have to come from, sometimes four or five days might be necessary for them to actually arrive in our office," Pitts said. "Those would then be considered by what we call a special precinct board."

The precinct board also considers any provisional ballots from Election Day. Provisional ballots allow a prospective voter to participate in the election even if their voting status is in question. In some cases, election officials didn't have proper identification from the voter to issue a standard ballot.

The Clay County Auditor's Office issued 40 provisional ballots. The special precinct board approved 28 of the 40 ballots at a meeting Monday.

Voter turnout was lower in 2008, by about 300 voters, than it was in 2004, according to Pitts. About 67 percent of Clay County's registered voters cast a ballot in the 2008 general election cycle.