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Election Day 2014 finally in the books
Nevada Daily Mail
Although Election Day 2014 officially ended on Nov. 4, that day marked the beginning of a lengthy and detailed process for the county clerk's office as they carefully made sure the voting process was completed accurately.
After the Help America Vote Act passed in 2006, all counties are required to use voting equipment to give voters a second chance that will ensure their ballot is cast. With that act and the equipment financed by the federal government, County Clerk Tammi Beach said the voting process was revolutionized as it went from 33 voting locations to 16.
It also added more details to the process.
"We start months ahead of time because of all that goes into it," Beach said of that process.
After Election Day and a deadline a few days later for military ballots, the county then formed a bipartisan team of a Republican and a Democrat to look over the numbers of votes for any inconsistencies, the equipment for any failures and also for any errors made by poll workers.
The team then chose a polling place where they did a hand count of the ballots to check for accuracy. The result had to be within .5 percent of the number the machine had given.
After another series of tests and running the hard ballots through one more time, the results were ready to be certified. Vernon County completed the process and paperwork to be sent to the state Thursday, nine days after Election Day.
This election, almost 49 percent of registered voters participated.
"We had a good turnout," said Beach, who finished her final election as county clerk. "That's not bad for a November election and not being a presidential election."
But despite that percentage, Beach pointed out that meant 50 percent of the county's population did not vote, a right people died for. In April elections, Beach says the turnout is even lower with only eight and 10 percent participating in recent years. During presidential elections that number rises to above 70 percent.
Beach says each vote is important when some results are determined by a small number of ballots. For each candidate that loses an election by 100 votes, Beach says that individual probably knew 100 people who did not vote.
While the voter turnout remained about average, Beach said the results were abnormal as, after years with most county offices held by Democratic politicians, the citizens voted Republicans into office on Nov. 4. Similar results occurred around the country.
"I think it stems directly from our state and federal governments," Beach said, pointing out the people wanted change, as seen in their votes.
With the conclusion of the election process, except for swearing in those newly elected officials at the end of the year, Beach says none of it could have happened without the help of the volunteers and others who worked at the polls or other jobs. Each election, Beach says they need more volunteers to help make the process go as smoothly as it did this year.