| Sullivan files for a recount in District 1 commissioner race |
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| Monday, 02 August 2010 16:41 | |||
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HUGO — Choctaw County will have its first election recount in modern history later this week in the aftermath of the District 1 County Commissioners’ race that ended with just one vote separating the second and third place candidates. Although incumbent Danny Antwine led the ticket, challengers Ronnie Thompson and Jim Bob Sullivan finished with 293 and 292 votes respectively. According to Choctaw County Election Secretary Darlene Rickman, Sullivan has filed for a recount, which has been scheduled for 1 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 5. Rickman said there was a specific set of protocols for recounts. The election board will select two Democrats and two Republicans to call, count and stack ballots. Each candidate is allowed monitors, but they are not allowed to make any verbal comments. Any questions they may have are to be made in writing immediately after they have a question about a particular ballot. Because the individual who calls for a recount is allowed to stop the process in the event he actually goes ahead, the other party involved in the recount generally has papers prepared to continue the counting process to its conclusion. The cost of a recount is $600 per challenger. In the event a recall involves more than 3,000 ballots, there is an additional $300 charge for each subsequent group of 6,000 ballots. An additional deposit of $300 is required to cover the cost of convening the state election board. The recount will take place in the second floor district courtroom in the Choctaw County Courthouse. Rickman said the challenging party had the right to request either a machine or a manual recount, and Sullivan has requested a manual recount. Only precincts in which voters cast ballots for the District 1 commissioner will be recounted. They include: 101, 104, 105, 106 and absentee ballots.
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