County Election wrap-up adds 42 votes, results unchanged

A final count of the Aug. 16 primary election added 42 votes to the count with results from early counts. Tom Kammerzell of Colfax kept a close lead over Al Sorenson of Pullman in the district three port seat. Kammerzell finished with a 17-vote lead, 904 for Kammerzell and 887 for Sorenson. The other final counts in the four-man race included Alan Morgan 548 and Jeff Phelps 357.

G. Todd Vanek maintained a wider edge over Carol Stueckle in the Colfax mayoral race. Vanek finished with 290 votes, and Stueckle finished with 232. Other final counts were 183 for Tom Huntwork and 111 write-ins, a gain of five for David Nails from the Aug. 19 tally.

The three Farmington measures remained under the 60 percent approval level after the final count while the Garfield town and park and rec measures approved at 63.35 and 63.18 votes respectively.

Total ballots cast in the primary was 3,090 for a turnout rate of just under 30 percent.

Elections supervisor Debbie Hooper reported 909 primary ballots were returned with wrong addresses, a number which partially reflects a changeover in WSU population between the spring and fall semesters.

Another 21 ballots were dropped for being too late, and three discarded for being unsigned. The canvass board also disqualified another 21 ballots for unidentifiable signatures. Three ballots with questionable signatures were approved.