ONE VOTE DIFFERENCE LEADS TO RECOUNT; RECOUNTS TODAY IN TWO COUNTIES

In Bollinger County, one person's vote made a big difference in the Republican race for presiding commissioner, with incumbent Elwood Mouser polling 453 votes to Bill Fulton's 452. Bill Nitsch polled 184.

Fulton requested a recount election night.

In Mississippi County, the margin was five votes between Democratic candidates for presiding commissioner as incumbent Jim Blumenberg lost to former commissioner Steve Ledbetter 1,180 to 1,185. Blumenberg has asked for a recount.

Recounts are scheduled today in both counties -- in Bollinger County at 1 p.m.; in Mississippi County at 9 a.m.

Under state law, candidates have the right to a recount if defeated by less than 1 percent of the votes cast.

Bollinger County Clerk Diane Holzum said ballots are counted by optical scan. Voters make a paper ballot, which is then scanned by machine.

During the recount, ballots will be scanned and will also be counted by hand.

"We hope to have this completed within three hours," Holzum said.

Jim Grebing, communications director for the Missouri Secretary of State, said rarely do recounts overturn the original election results.

But it could happen.

"With the types of electronic systems used for counting ballots, there is not a lot of room for error," Grebing said. "It's not like it used to be when we hand-counted paper ballots. There was a greater possibility of human error."

However, he said, with a vote margin of just a handful of votes, even a small error could make a difference.

"And for a lot of candidates, it's kind of a peace of mind thing," Grebing said.

"I think people would be surprised at the number of close races around the state," he added.

Incumbent presiding commissioners in Osage, Franklin and Jefferson counties all had close elections in the primary.

"When the turnout is depressed," Grebing said, "we often have the potential for tighter elections, especially in a primary."