By a margin of 11 votes, Joyce Heinrich will keep her seat on the Jamestown Parks and Recreation Commission.
The Stutsman County Recount Board met today to recount the votes from the primary election on June 8. After the primary, Incumbent Heinrich held a 13-vote lead over challenger Ron Olson.
State law requires a voter margin of at least one half of 1 percent, or in the Parks and Recreation Commission's case, a difference of more than 13 votes because the top vote-getter, Larry Knoblich, received more than 2,600 votes.
The final vote tally Thursday was 1,681 votes for Heinrich, 1,670 for Olson.
Olson said he isn't surprised by the outcome and Heinrich will continue to do well in the position. As for running for park board again, Olson said he isn't sure.
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"I got two years to sleep on it," he said.
In a recount, it's possible a vote will be counted that wasn't the first time they were checked, said Noel Johnson, county auditor. Sometimes the ballot circles aren't filled in dark enough, he said, so the computer may count it one time and not the second or vice versa. Also, in a recount, the candidate may challenge ballots. If an election official didn't initial a ballot, the state requires that ballot be thrown out, Johnson said.
"Our duty is to ascertain voter intent," he said.
Olson and Knoblich were present to challenge and/or verify votes.
Olson had served on the commission for four years before he was defeated in the 2008 election.
