A Butler County judge has ordered a hand recount of the approximately 760 ballots cast in last week’s use tax election.
Only residents of Poplar Bluff were eligible to vote on the measure, which would tax certain internet purchases at the same sales tax rate assessed on purchases made at brick and mortar city businesses. The judge ordered the recount to take place Wednesday, said Tonyi Deffendall, Butler County clerk. Results are expected to be turned over by Wednesday afternoon to Presiding Circuit Judge Mike Pritchett.
City officials asked for the recount after seeing uncertified results of 377-381 against the measure, narrow to 377-379.
The city would need to pick up another three votes for the measure to pass.
The count changed after the verification board met following the election, explained Deffendall. Vote counts released on the night of the election are uncertified until the Friday following election day. In addition to a meeting by the verification board, active members of the military also have a later deadline to cast absentee ballots.
The verification board chose one city and one county precinct for a hand recount following the April 6 election, which is normal practice, Deffendall said. The verification board is made up of two polling judges selected by Deffendall.
“When human eyes looked at the ballots, they came up with two less than the machine (for that precinct),” Deffendall said. “Human eyes see the ballot the way the voter intended.”
A team of four polling judges will participate in the hand recount, which is a closed process. The names of the individuals were submitted and approved by the judge.
One team member will read the ballot results aloud, a second team member keeps a tally, a third team member watches over the process and the fourth is in charge of handing out the ballots, Deffendall said. The team members can switch roles as needed.
“Over 20 years, we’ve only had a handful of recounts,” she said.
A recount of the larger coroner’s race in August took about six hours, said Deffendall, who expects the use tax recount to be faster.