(Updated to reflect new numbers for Sedgwick County)
Kansas election officials said there may be as many as 10,000 provisional ballots that must be counted before the GOP Republican primary for governor can be called.
Just 191 votes separate Republican Jeff Colyer from Secretary of State Kris Kobach. Each side is hoping and praying they numbers will come out on their side.
Here’s a look at where some of the biggest clusters of provisional ballots are, but knowing that nine counties still haven’t reported and some of them are biggies.
About 6,400 of the provisional ballots cast were in these 13 counties. Also, in those counties, we’ll show you how Colyer or Kobach performed. Here’s how it breaks down for this limited sample:
- Sedgwick County: 1,900 (Kobach won 46 percent of the vote; Colyer received 37 percent).
- Johnson County: 1,821 (Colyer won 43 percent of the vote; Kobach received 37 percent)
- Shawnee County: 529 (Colyer won 41 percent of the vote; Kobach received 38 percent )
- Wyandotte County: 402 (Kobach won 56 percent of the vote; Colyer received 31.3 percent)
- Reno County: 202 (Colyer won 41 percent of the vote; Kobach received 40 percent)
- Leavenworth County: 194 (Kobach won 51 percent of the vote; Colyer received 34 percent)
- Riley County: 161 (Colyer won 46 percent of the vote; Kobach received 32 percent)
- Pottawatomie County: 160 (Kobach won 49 percent of the vote; Colyer received 35 percent)
- Butler County: 157 (Kobach won 51 percent of the vote; Colyer received 35 percent).
- Miami County 147 (Kobach won 48 percent of the vote; Colyer received 34 percent)
- Crawford County 101 (Colyer won 44 percent of the vote; Kobach received 40 percent)
- Harvey County 97 (Kobach won 41 percent of the vote; Colyer received 38 percent)
- Finney County 55 (Kobach won 43 percent of the voter; Colyer received 37 percent)
The secretary of state’s office did not have provisional ballot counts from Douglas County or Saline County.
However, the Lawrence Journal World reported that Douglas County has about 500 provisional ballots to be counted. Colyer carried Douglas County with 51 percent of the vote to 30 percent for Kobach.
The state didn’t know how many mail-in ballots that were still outstanding. Under state law, ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and received no later than Friday.
Key dates ahead:
- Counties can starting counting provisional ballots and certify results on Aug. 13.
- The last day for counting provisional ballots and certifying the results is Aug. 16.
- The deadline for requesting a recount for statewide office is 5 p.m. Aug. 17.
Recount details
- Candidates requesting a recount must decide the scope. They can ask for anywhere from just one county to all 105 counties.
- Candidates requesting a recount can decide how it should be done. They can ask for a recount to be done the way it was on Election Day or ask for a hand recount.
- Candidates requesting a recount must post a bond covering the cost. If the recount changes the outcome of the race, the money is refunded and the counties pay the expense. If the recount doesn’t change the outcome, the candidate ends up paying the bill.
