RECOUNT IN 8TH DISTRICT DEMOCRATIC RACE AWAITS CERTIFICATION

JEFFERSON CITY - A candidate who lost the 8th Congressional District Democratic primary earlier this month must wait for state certification of the results before filing for a recount.

Steve Byers, director of elections for the office, said Thursday he anticipates having to conduct a recount.

James L. (Jay) Thompson of Bourbon lost the six-candidate Democratic primary on Aug. 4 to Thad Bullock of Cape Girardeau. The final margin, 211 votes, was about three-tenths of a percent, which means a recount is automatic if one is requested.

A recount petition must be filed in circuit court. The secretary of state's office is responsible for certifying election results.

Thompson has indicated he will request the recount because the margin was so close.

The recount process requires a petition to be filed in circuit court, but state law requires if the margin is less than one percent that it be granted.

Byers explained that all counties had to certify their election results with his office by Aug. 20. He then has two weeks to enter all of the results and have the state board of canvassers to certify election results for the state.

The secretary of state's office will then issue final certified results of the primary on Sept. 3. From that certification date, Thompson will have five days to file a petition for a recount.

Byers said he is optimistic that a judge will act quickly on the petition so that a recount can begin.

"He certainly gets a recount, depending on what the judge orders," said Byers.

There are several kinds of recounts that might be requested or ordered by the judge. Many counties in the 8th District use a form of punch card voting, which could make the recount process a matter of running the ballots back through the computer to count them.

The computerization of the voting process also reduces the likelihood that many mistakes were made in tallying votes.

Almost 74,000 votes were cast in the Democratic congressional primary.

Byers said he believes the recount is just a matter of time.

"I think the county clerks in the 8th District are standing by waiting for it," he observed.

Statutes do not set a deadline for the recount to be conducted once it is ordered, but Byers said swift action will be taken.

"Logic tells us we need to complete it as soon as possible so the winner can move on to the general election as quickly as possible," said Byers.

The Democratic candidate will face Republican U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson in the Nov. 3 general election.