Ready and waiting for recount

• Election workers

Washington County election workers Robert Lepp (from left), Susan Agrimson and Donna Stevens count ballots during a mandatory post-election equipment review to ensure Election Day electronic vote tabulators were accurate.

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Washington County election officials say they are ready for another statewide election recount.

If a recount in the governor’s race is called later this month, the county will hand count its ballots beginning Nov. 29, said Kevin Corbid, director of Property Records and Taxpayer Services and the county’s top election official.

The State Canvassing Board is scheduled to meet Nov. 23 to certify results from the Nov. 2 election. A governor’s race recount is likely because Democrat Mark Dayton has about 8,755 more votes than Republican Tom Emmer, a margin that falls within the threshold that triggers an automatic recount.

County officials last week certified their results from Election Day, and the results submitted election night did not change after the county canvassing board reviewed the ballot counts.

“Everything checked out fine,” Corbid said.

Results showed that 103,723 people voted in Washington County.

County election workers last week also conducted a mandatory post-election equipment audit. They count votes in two races on ballots from four precincts and compare the results to what the electronic vote tabulators showed on election night.

All Washington County ballots will remain locked in an office until the likely recount, Corbid said. Should that be called, it probably will take about three days for the county to compete its manual tally.

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