Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Election '06: A look at the numbers

The use of voting machines seems to have made the counting process easier. For the most part, those voting in the May primary and the June runoff used the electronic machines to cast their ballots. There were, however, some who chose to use paper ballots during both elections. According to information from the Nevada County Clerks Office, this will be the last opportunity for paper ballots and the entire process will be electronic at the November general election.

When the pollworkers are closing the polls, they run the tape through the ballot machines. That tape provides information, including a total number of votes for each candidate.

One of the problems faced during this election is that those counting the votes have to deal with two sets of numbers - those totals from the electronic machines and the total number of paper ballots. In some cases, the most expedient way to tally those votes was to combine numbers.

For example, the ballots in Rosston were divided into three categories - Rosston city, Rosston rural, and Rosston city and rural paper. In Rosston city, 31 people voted for Bobby Carlton and 33 voted for Nevada County Sheriff Steve Otwell. In Rosston rural, Otwell got 23 votes while Carlton got 22. But there were also six paper ballots cast - four for Carlton and two for Otwell.

Bodcaw Willisville, Emmet and Cale all have paper ballots totals that change the totals for those voting precincts.

Taking a look at a few of the precincts in which there was a wide margin, Otwell easily carried Willisville with a total count of 67 to Carltons 25. Otwell also took Ward 2 with 80 votes to 43 for Carlton. Early voters also cast more votes for Otwell with 75 compared to Carltons 40.

In Ward 1, Carlton took 103 votes to Otwells 77. Carlton was a heavy favorite in Bodcaw where he got a total of 83 votes to Otwells 19. A third candidate in the primary, Harold Vines, had carried Bodcaw. Vines formally threw his support behind Carlton after Vines was eliminated from the race.

Voters in Union cast their votes for Carlton with a total of 79 votes cast and 71 of those for Carlton.

Race results are considered unofficial until certified by the state. That certification should occur over the next few days.