Any race that is closer than 2,000 votes or one half of 1 percent will trigger an automatic recount
Ken Vance, editor
Clark County Today
Ten days after the Nov. 5 general election there are still several local races that have not been settled.
Clark County Auditor Greg Kimsey told Clark County Today Friday afternoon (Nov. 15) that about 450 ballots remained to be counted. The election will not be certified until Nov. 25. Turnout for the Nov. 5 general election has now reached 80.12 percent of registered Clark County voters.
Any race that is closer than 2,000 votes or one half of 1 percent will trigger an automatic recount. Several area races appear headed in that direction.
Results of races in Clark County were updated by the Clark County Elections Department at 3:33 p.m. Friday
In the race for the state senate seat in the 18th District, Democrat Adrian Cortes (41,869 votes, 50.21 percent) held a lead of just 343 votes over Republican Brad Benton (41,526 votes, 49.79 percent).
In the state representative, position 2 race in the 18th District, Republican John Ley (42,244 votes, 50.86 percent) has a lead of 1,424 votes over Democrat John Zingale (40,820 votes, 49.14 percent).
In Clark County, the proposed Charter Amendment No. 18, which would expand restrictions on proposed initiatives, is narrowly failing with 119,222 votes to reject (50.06 percent) and 118,941 votes to approve (49.94 percent), a difference of just 281 votes.
In the race for the District 4 position on the Clark County Council, Matt Little (23,660 votes, 50.07 percent) holds a 66-vote lead over Joe Zimmerman (23,594 votes, 49.93 percent).
In results updated by the state office of the Secretary of State at 2:27 p.m. on Friday (Nov. 15), Republican Paul Harris (43,695 votes, 51.14 percent) held a lead of 2,076 votes over Democrat Marla Keethler (41,619 votes, 48.71 percent) in the Senate race in the 17th Legislative District.
In the race for state representative, position 2 in the 17th District, Republican David Stuebe (42,688 votes, 50.44 percent) held a lead of just 890 votes over Democrat Terri Niles (41,798 votes, 49.39 percent).
The next update is scheduled for Nov. 19.
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The County is saying county measures are not subject to mandatory recounts. There’s some ambiguity in the RCWs but I’m looking into legal action to require the important practice of mandatory recounts when election results are razor thin. Election integrity efforts should be increased and not avoided.