SCOTT COUNTY RECOUNTS BALLOTS TWICE, BUT GETS DIFFERENT TOTALS

BENTON -- Vote counting in Scott County isn't an exact science, even when the totaling is being done by a $33,000 optic scanning machine.

Ballots cast in the April 5 election on riverboat gambling were run through the machine twice Friday as part of a statewide recount.

The tally came out different each time, and both recounts varied from the election-night vote totals, said County Clerk Bob Kielhofner.

The machine, which was used for the first time in the April election, has now counted the ballots three times and recorded three different totals.

"This thing is not guaranteed 100 percent, rocket-science accurate," said Kielhofner following the four-hour recount.

"We could have picked up a smudge in the packing and unpacking of them (the ballots)," he speculated. But he admitted, he doesn't know exactly what happened. "I can't explain it to you."

He added, "The computer runs through it awfully fast."

While the totals varied slightly, the outcome remained the same: The riverboat gambling measure was defeated by more than 1,000 votes.

Kielhofner said he'll report the last tally to the secretary of state. Election officials throughout the state have been instructed to recount the ballots twice, he explained.

The gambling amendment was defeated in Scott County by a vote of 4,556 against to 3,521 for, the final tally showed. The final figures listed two more yes votes and two less no votes than what had been reported on election night.

"I am pretty well satisfied to tell you the truth," said Kielhofner. "I don't think this is bad accuracy at all."

In addition to election judges, the recount was witnessed by a casino proponent and a gambling opponent.

Cleat Stanfill of Caruthersville viewed the recount as a pro-gambling observer.

Despite the differing totals, Stanfill said he believes the optic scanner is "a good system."

"I think that is a pretty accurate count," he said of the final tally.

The votes cast for all of the candidates and issues on the ballot were scanned Friday, even though the recount only dealt with the riverboat gambling measure.

"We did not have a (computer) program made that scanned only the riverboat gambling election," said Kielhofner.

Absentee ballots had to be counted by hand. "We recounted them about three times."

The absentee recount showed 49 yes votes and 36 no votes. On election night, 50 yes votes and 35 no votes were recorded, he said.

As to the scanner, on election night it counted 3,469 yes votes and 4,522 no votes on the gambling issue.

In the first recount Friday, 3,470 yes votes and 4,520 no votes were recorded by the scanner. The second recount recorded two more yes votes and one more no vote.

Kielhofner said three ballots were damaged during the first recount. "The machine crumpled three ballots."

Three blank ballots were then filled out to duplicate the damaged ones, and then run through the scanner.

"You get a little stoppage now and then" and the scanner indicates if a ballot has been counted or needs to be run through again, said Kielhofner. "I am the driver, but the machine tells me what to do."

The county clerk said he's glad ballots don't have to be counted by hand anymore. Said Kielhofner, "These numbers wear you out after a while."