ELDORA, Iowa — When the counting of absentee ballots ended on Tuesday night in Hardin County they realized there was a problem. None of the 3,090 absentee ballots were actually counted. A quick call to the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office confirmed a recount was needed, but first the Board of Supervisors had to approve the recount.
In an emergency Board of Supervisors meeting it was explained why the recount was needed, and why the time element made this approval necessary. The law calls for 24-hour notice for a recount. The Board could have approved a recount for Friday, but the group that does the recount was not available Friday. That meant a delay through the weekend, then tack on Veteran’s Day, and the recount would be a week after the election. So, a recount was approved for Thursday afternoon.
“The reason for the recount, the computer remained in testing mode, so a form report cannot be made,” said Assistant Hardin County Attorney Brad Schilling.
“It was still in test mode, and nobody caught it at the time,” said County Auditor Jolene Pieters. “For transparency, is the reason why we’re doing this, and this will keep the trust in the elections.”
The results of the Hardin County absentee ballot recount were sent to the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office and will be posted here.
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