Riley County commissioners held an election canvass during their meeting Monday.
The purpose of the canvass is to review the provisional ballots from the general election with the commission. County Clerk Rich Vargo says the provisional ballots are the only ballots left to count.
There were 142 provisional ballots, with 102 recommended to be considered valid. Each ballot is recommended to be either valid, partially valid, or invalid.
The main reason for the majority of the invalid ballots was due to non-registered voters. Vargo explains how a ballot could be partially valid.
Those ballots were then opened and sent to be counted through the voter tabulator with results available later this week. Vargo took time during the meeting Monday to answer some questions about provisional ballots.
Provisional ballots are given to voters at polling places when there is uncertain information about the voter’s registration. Vargo says one of the benefits to filling out a provisional ballot is the information filled out also updates the registration.
Advanced voting numbers are also increasing for the general elections in Riley County.
Advanced voting at the county courthouse saw 2,4000 votes cast on the machines and over 600 mail ballots. Vargo says there continuing to see increases both in person and by mail, with this year’s advanced voting numbers exceeding 2019.
Vargo says advanced voting also takes the pressure off of the polling places on election day.
With all the ballots now accounted for, there were over 9,686 votes cast in this election.
Official final numbers, including both Riley and Pottawatomie Counties, are as the following:
Karla Hagemeister: 4,615
Christine Weixelman: 4,426
Jayme Morris-Hardeman: 4,410
Teresa Parks: 4,276
Betty Mattingly-Ebert: 4,164
Steven Ruzzin: 3,802
