MADISON COUNTY, Iowa — Preliminary results are in for Madison County’s special election to fill the auditor seat.

Two candidates were vying for the seat, current temporary Auditor Matthew Schwarz and former board clerk Michele Brant. Schwarz was appointed to the auditor position by the Madison County Board of Supervisors after the former auditor resigned in May. Not long after Schwarz’ appointment a group of residents began collecting signatures and filed a petition to hold the special election for the county’s next auditor.

Polls for the special election opened at 7 a.m. and closed at 8 p.m. on Tuesday. Of the over 10,000 registered voters in Madison County over 3,100 voted in the special election.

According to an election summary report obtained by WHO 13, as of Tuesday night preliminary results show Brant received over 70% of the vote. In total, Brant received 2,203 votes and Schwarz received 927 votes. There were also seven write-in votes.

Schwarz released a statement about the results on his Facebook page, which reads:

The results are in, and while tonight didn’t turn out the way we hoped, I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to run and to share my visions for the Auditor’s Office with the people of Madison County. I congratulate Michelle Brant on her victory and I will work with her to ensure a smooth transition.

I want to thank every voter who put their confidence in me, every volunteer who gave countless hours, and every neighbor who encouraged me along the way. I am humbled that you placed your trust in me

• Matthew Schwarz

The results won’t be made official until after the canvas on September 2.