Recount has Thomas as victor in auditor primary

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A recount has confirmed Platte County Auditor Sandra Thomas as the victor in a close Republican primary for state auditor. The secretary of state's office said Wednesday that Thomas' victory margin actually grew by 28 votes, compared with the original count, over second-place finisher Rep. Jack Jackson. Thomas received 86,880 votes in the five-way race, and Jackson got 85,008 votes. Jackson had requested the recount under a state law that allows one whenever a victory margin is less than 1 percentage point. Thomas, of Kansas City, will face Democratic Buchanan County Auditor Susan Montee, of St. Joseph, in the Nov. 7 general election. Also on that ballot are Libertarian Charles Baum, of University City, and Progressive Party candidate Terry Bunker, of Kansas City. Jackson, of Wildwood, said he called Thomas on Wednesday and congratulated her on the victory.

The statewide recount was just the fourth requested since 1900. It was conducted by local election authorities with a combination of human and mechanical review. Paper ballots were manually reviewed for voter intent and, if that was clear, optical scan ballots were then run through electronic counters. Ballots cast by touch-screen machines were manually counted by using the verified paper trail.

Jackson, who had specifically sought the hand recount, said at the time that he had heard of some voters having trouble using the electronic equipment, which was in place for the first time at many polling places.

"Electronic voting is no longer a novelty, it is now standard practice," Jackson said in a written statement Wednesday. "This recount was not only necessary because of the extremely slim margin, but it was also a good test to ensure that every vote is counted accurately, the system works, and in a close election like this it proves that every vote does count."

Thomas has been campaigning as the GOP primary winner since the day after the election.

"We're excited the recount has concluded and excited to move this phase of the campaign behind us," Thomas campaign consultant Jeff Roe said. "They confirmed what we believed on the night of the election -- that we're the victors."

Missouri's last statewide recount occurred on the April 1994 defeat of a proposed constitutional amendment that would have given the Legislature authority to specify which games were allowed on riverboat casinos. The ballot measure originally was shown as failing by a margin of 1,267 votes out of more than 1 million cast. The failing margin grew after the recount to 1,412 votes.

A recount in 1908 resulted in the overturning of the lieutenant governor's race. And a recount delayed the gubernatorial inauguration of Forrest C. Donnell after the 1940 election until that request was dropped.