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Prosecutor's race too close to call
By Steve Moyer
Nevada Daily Mail
The 2006 Democratic primary for Vernon County prosecutor has become one of the most closely-run local elections in recent memory. Vernon Countians still await the final outcome of the Vernon County Prosecutor's race, which pitted veteran prosecutor Lynn Ewing III against political newcomer Jeff Feuquay. Current vote tallies put Feuquay ahead of Ewing by one vote -- 1,251 to 1,250; but Vernon County Clerk Tammi Beach said a canvas of votes would be done today to certify the official vote count.
A hand recount may be necessary as well, according to Beach, which she estimates could take anywhere from a few hours to a few days.
The lead switched back and forth several times as precincts were counted, and at the end of the evening it looked like Ewing might have been the victor by two votes. A spreadsheet with the vote totals was showing 160 absentee votes plus 1,090 votes cast Tuesday for Ewing, and 103 absentee votes plus 1,145 votes cast Tuesday for Feuquay, which would have put Ewing ahead by two votes. A printer for the direct recording electronic voting machine for visually impaired and physically disabled voters, at the First Methodist Church, where Ward IV voters cast their ballots, had not been brought in to the courthouse and someone was dispatched to bring it in.
"I've been told there was at least one voter who used the machine," Beach said Tuesday, while votes were being tallied. "We'll retrieve that and then we'll be surer about the totals."
When the printer was brought in to the courthouse it was found that no votes had been cast on it to change the totals.
Beach said that four ballots cast in the clerk's office by voters sent there by precincts for reasons such as having moved to a different precinct were counted last; so, by Wednesday, the count was showing Feuquay ahead by one, and Beach said Wednesday morning that she would canvas the votes and wait to see whether either candidate wished to challenge the election by having the court order a recount.
"I talked to the Secretary of State's Office and I've read the manual here in the office and that looks to be the right way to handle it," Beach said.