Canvassers certify June 23 Republican primary results after unanimous vote

County commissioners acting as the county's board of canvassers certified the June 23 Republican primary results in a brief special meeting on July 2.

A commissioner opened the meeting by saying, "The purpose of the canvas is to verify the accuracy of the election data, ensure transparency, and instill public confidence in the final outcome," and the board heard a detailed explanation of testing, tabulation and post-election audit procedures from Heather of the clerk's office.

Heather told the board the office runs internal and public logic-and-accuracy tests, uses pre-marked test decks with DS200 tabulators, verifies accessible express-vote machines and seals equipment before election day, and conducts a hand-count audit on random batches provided by the lieutenant governor's office. "Everything matched up with a little technical error," she said of the audit conducted the previous day.

Heather read precinct-level totals reported for the Republican primary: U.S. House, District 3 ' Celeste Malloy 1,238; Bill Lyman 534. State House, District 69 ' Daniel Gardner 563; Logan Monson 1,141. County commissioner (Republican) ' Matthew LeGrand Cox 770; Celeste Myers 1,032. County clerk/auditor (Republican) ' Shamil Lam 1,212; Martin Hepworth 556. The clerk also reported 3,409 active registered Republican voters in the precinct and 1,821 total ballots counted (1,665 returned by mail, 32 in-person early votes, 124 election-day in-person votes and five provisionals counted).

On challenged ballots, Heather said there were 43 challenges: 22 were cured and 21 were not, which she described as about a 48% cure rate for curable ballots. Seventeen ballots were received after the deadline and rejected; undeliverable returns were about 0.2% of mailings.

After the review, a commissioner moved to accept the canvas "as presented" and the motion was seconded. The board voted verbally; three "aye" votes were recorded and the chair declared the motion unanimous, approving the canvas and enabling the board to issue certificates to the successful candidates.

Heather stated she would present certificates to "Chanel Lam" and Celeste Myers. The transcript contains an inconsistency: earlier in her results readout she recorded the clerk-auditor winner as "Shamil Lam." The record supplied here does not resolve that name discrepancy.

The chair thanked the clerk's office staff for their work, described the meeting as short and relaxed, and moved to adjourn. The special meeting ended following a voice vote.