A manual recount confirmed an earlier verdict: James Sigman won the race for Texas County sheriff on the Republican Ticket.
Eight citizens spent just over three hours Monday afternoon hand counting the 6,326 ballots from the Aug. 7 primary election in the basement of the Texas County Administrative Center. Their result was a 23-vote victory for Sigman of Cabool over fellow Republican Tim Ceplina of Houston.
Ceplina filed in court Friday for the recount after losing 2,117-2,096 in the electronic count. State statute allows the procedure if the difference is 1 percent or less of the total cast in the race.
The manual count confirmed 2,117 votes for Sigman as well two under votes for a total of 2,119. The vote for Ceplina showed 2,095 manual votes – one less than the electronic tally – and one under vote for a total of 2,096.
County Clerk Don Troutman said the manual count confirmed full accountability in all ballots. He stressed there were never unaccountable votes, only under votes.
“Four voters underlined or circled outside of the voting area, and the votes were only able to be viewed by a human eye,” Troutman said. “The machines worked perfectly. It was the voter in four cases who made errors.”
Sigman, a member of the Cabool Police Department, will face Democrat Melissa Dunn of Houston in November. Dunn is a lieutenant with the Texas County Sheriff’s Department.
“Thank you to everyone who has been praying for me and supporting me through this campaign. The recount was completed today and it was confirmed that I am the Republican candidate for the sheriff’s race,” Sigman said Monday on his campaign Facebook page. “I would like to thank Tim Ceplina for his commitment to his campaign and his dedication to law enforcement. …”
The manual recount was be done by eight people — four representing each candidate. They sat in pairs at four tables and counted ballots by precincts. Ceplina and Sigman watched nearby.
Deputy Clerk Linda Vandivort of the county clerk’s office and Troutman were also in the room to assist.
The object of the recount was to determine the intent of any person who attempted to vote for a candidate, but did so in a manner that the electronic system didn’t recognize. The manual recount followed guidelines already set by the state and outlined on the secretary of state’s website.
Phelps County Associate Circuit Judge Ronald D. White ruled on Friday that he would determine the voter’s intent with any disputed ballots. Troutman said there were none.
Troutman said during his 33-year tenure, less than six recounts had taken place in Texas County. The last was a general election race in 1990s for public administrator between Lois England and Sheila Foster, Troutman said.
No electronic vote has been overturned by a manual count in Texas County during Troutman’s time as county clerk, he said.
James Sigman: One under vote in Cabool and one under vote in Licking for a total of 2,119 votes (two more than the 2,117 electronic votes tallied Aug. 7).
Tim Ceplina: One less vote in Cabool and one under vote in Houston for a total of 2,096 votes (the same total as the 2,096 electronic votes tallied Aug. 7).