Cape County to recount ballots

Cape Girardeau County election officials will begin a recount of ballots today after having problems with machinery Tuesday night.

While none of the election outcomes are expected to change, Cape Girardeau County Clerk Rodney said the recount was just a precaution.

Election officials had trouble with the machine that reads ballots Tuesday night while tabulating the primary results. Miller said the results of the election should remain the same, but to be fair to all candidates the ballots would be recounted.

It was the first time that the county has had to seal off the room where ballots were counted. "We had done checks and hand counts and didn't think the numbers were accurate enough" from the machine, Miller said.

Election judges will begin the recount at 9:30 a.m. today at the courthouse.

Miller said voter turnout Tuesday was about what he expected.

About 25 percent of eligible Cape Girardeau County voters participated in the primary election.

Miller reported that the Byrd wards in Jackson and a Fruitland ward had the highest percentage of participating voters in the county.

"This was one of the better turnouts we've had, as far as primaries go," Miller said.

In Perry County, the turnout was 37 percent for a ballot that had only two contested issues: the newly created recorder of deeds office and the Republican primary for the 106th District state representative race.

And in Scott County, 23 percent of registered voters participated.