Election board: Turnout ‘normal’ in Garfield County

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November 8, 2006

By Robert Barron Staff Writer The Enid News and Eagle Wed Nov 08, 2006, 11:48 PM CST

Voters nationwide experienced problems with computerized voting machines, and although Oklahoma experienced few difficulties, one happened to be in Enid, said Wenona Marshall, Garfield County Election Board Secretary.

Precinct 304 at West Willow Community Church, 2217 Constitution, had a jammed ballot, Marshall said. The problem forced precinct workers to wait for someone from the election board office to make re-pairs. During the wait, ballots cast were put in a special bin to be run through at the end of the evening.

However, Marshall said the ballots were not run through when they should have been, so they had to be recounted at the election board.

“There were 1,500 total ballots, and only four were left out, but we have to count them all to include those four,” Marshall said.

The recount is to assure accuracy of the ballots, she said. An election device was set at zero, Marshall said, and the ballots were run through one at a time until all were counted. Oklahoma voting machines count ballots that have been marked on a paper ballot by the voters, thus ensuring a paper trail of ballots and a less confusing voting process, she said.

Recounting the ballots took more than two hours, Marshall said.

County voters turned out in average numbers for the election. Marshall said 53 percent of registered voters cast ballots Tuesday, which is average for mid-term elections. In 2002, 55 percent voted, while 51 percent cast ballots in 1998 and 59 percent in 1994.

“It’s normal for an off-year election. Presidential years are higher. Everybody wants to vote for the president,” she said.

According to state election board figures, as of Jan. 1, there were 29,749 registered voters in Gar-field County. Republicans numbered 17,121, with Democrats at 10,349 and independents at 2,279.

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Election board: Turnout ‘normal’ in Garfield County

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