Following complaints about ballot handling in one Davenport precinct, Scott County auditor Kerri Tompkins is seeking an administrative recount of absentee and special voters precinct ballots.
The request Friday follows complaints that arose Election Day. On Wednesday, Tompkins confirmed 47 incorrect ballots were distributed at the Duck Creek Park polling place on Election Day.
Tompkins told WQAD TV reporters that the error was due to workers not checking the correct ballot style.
"However, I am grateful the process worked as the machines did not accept those ballots. "The situation was discovered and resolved quickly with state guidance. In addition, our training procedures will be reviewed for the future,” she told WQAD Wednesday.
On Thursday, Nov. 11, Tompkins said a mandatory post-election audit of one precinct confirmed election night results. The Iowa Secretary of State selected Bettendorf 22 precinct, which was hand counted by five election officials who had not worked that precinct.
“The hand counted results confirmed the vote totals for each candidate were the same as the totals counted by machine on election night,” Tompkins said in statement posted Thursday.
On Friday, she sought the administrative recount, which will be conducted 11 a.m., Tuesday, Nov. 15 at the county administration center in Davenport.
“My job is to audit the numbers and ensure 100 percent accurate results. If there is any question, I believe a recount is necessary.”
Tompkins serves as an appointed auditor and won her first election on Nov. 8.
Iowa law outlines this process for an administrative recount:
“The request shall be made in writing to the board of supervisors explaining the nature of the problem and listing the precincts to be recounted and which
offices and questions shall be included in the administrative recount. The board of supervisors shall respond as soon as possible after receipt of the commissioner’s request.
“The recount shall be conducted by members of the absentee and special voters precinct board… The commissioner may use different memory cards for the recount and shall retain the information on the memory cards used in the election… “The commissioner may also use different election definition files if the commissioner believes the original election definition files were flawed.”