PARKERSBURG - While some numbers did change, no overall election night results were affected as the canvass of the Nov. 6 General Election was completed Wednesday.
Wood County commissioners, meeting as the Board of Canvass, began work on Tuesday. Of the 463 provisional (challenged) ballots, 338 were overruled meaning the votes were counted. On Wednesday, during the board of canvass the provisionals and absentee ballots received by the start of the canvass Tuesday were plugged in and the hand count of four precincts, the required five percent was concluded.
Election results are not official until after they are certified following the canvass. The commissioners are required to rule on the provisional ballots and oversee a hand count of four randomly selected precincts. Overruling a provisional ballot means the ballot will be counted. If a challenge is sustained, the ballot is not counted. Absentee ballots received by the start of the canvass are counted in the totals. Once the commission completes the canvass, the commissioners are able to declare the election results which starts a 48-hour time clock during which time a recount can be requested. If no request is filed, election results can then be certified.
The final turnout figure was 62.46 percent.
Wood County Clerk Jamie Six said the number of challenged ballots for that large a turnout was pretty good.
"The pollworkers did an excellent job. There were a lot of change of addresses at the polls," Six said earlier.
Those who change their address at the polling place must vote at their new precinct and pollworkers challenge the ballot. It is reviewed at the board of canvass and if they voted at the proper location, the ballot is counted.
"The start of the 48-hour (recount request) period for the statewide offices doesn't begin until every county affected by that race has declared," Six said. "It's a little twist they changed about six years ago."
The following is the election night totals and the after canvass vote totals:
* Ballots cast, 34,182, 34,563; voter turnout, 61.77, 62.46; Straight Party Republican, 3,973, 4,024; Democrat: 2,656, 2,690; Libertarian, 92, 100; Mountain Party, 21, 23.
* President: Mitt Romney, 21,980, 22,183; Barack Obama, 11,067, 11,230; Gary Johnson, 257, 264; Jill Stein, 156, 160; Randall Terry, 140,140.
* U.S. Senate: Joe Manchin, 20,635, 20,891; John Raese, 11,489, 11,583; Bob Henry Barber, 628, 638.
* U.S. House of Representatives: David McKinley, 20,210, 20,406; Sue Thorn, 10,880, 11,020.
* Governor: Bill Maloney, 16,129, 16,272; Earl Ray Tomblin, 16,086, 16,284; Jesse Johnson, 553, 567; David Moran, 408, 415.
* Secretary of State: Natalie Tennant, 18,570, 18,783; Brian Savilla, 13,112, 13,234.
* Auditor: Glen Gainer, 21,853, 22,102; Larry Faircloth, 10,097, 10,187.
* Treasurer: John Perdue, 15,796, 15,984; Mike Hall, 15,154, 15,296.
* Commissioner of Agriculture: Kent Leonhardt, 17,756, 17,918; Walt Helmick, 12,602, 12,756.
* Attorney General: Patrick Morrisey, 18,835, 18,999; Darrell McGraw, 13,277, 13,447.
* Justice of the Supreme Court of Appeals: John Yoder, 16,545, 16,700; Allen Loughry, 14,942, 15,084; Robin Jean Davis, 14,663, 14,815; Letitia Chafin, 9,550, 9,670.
* State Senate, Third District: Donna Boley, 27,611, 27,894.
* House of Delegates, Eighth District: Bill Anderson, 4,796, 4,842; Denzil Malone, 1,752, 1,778; Bob Buchanan, 624, 630.
* House of Delegates, Ninth District: Anna Border, 3,067, 3,091; Jim Marion, 1,63, 1,658.
* Member House of Delegates, 10th District: Tom Azinger, 12,832, 12,955; John Ellem, 12,698, 12,801; Dan Poling, 11,720, 11,844; Fred Gillespie, 10,171, 10,280.
* County Commissioner: David Blair Couch, 19,292, 19,460; Harry Deitzler, 13,492, 13,671.
* Prosecutor: Jason Wharton, 26,811, 27,097.
* Sheriff: Ken Merritt, 16,569, 16,747; Jeff Sandy, 16,091, 16,262.
* Assessor: Rich Shaffer, 27,807, 28,105.
* Magistrates: Brenda Marshall, 19,531, 19,720; Robin Waters, 18,518, 18,682; Joyce Purkey, 15,983, 16,139; Joe Kuhl, 15,085, 15,233; Barry Murphy, 13,782, 13,909; Debbie Hendershot, 12,161, 12,310; G. Bradley Frum, 10,009, 10,113.
* Surveyor: Scott Stewart, 26,862, 27,149.
* North Hills Mayor: William V. Summers Jr., 398, 403.
* Parkersburg Mayor: Robert Newell, 5,761, 5,839; Sharyn Tallman, 4,685, 4,724.
* Vienna Mayor: Randall Rapp, 2,886, 2,920; Jack Roush, 1,763, 1776.
* Vienna Recorder: Cathy Smith, 3,968, 4,010.
* North Hills Council: Donald Stemple, 382, 387; Kathleen Shrader, 365, 369; Bob High, 360, 365.
* Parkersburg City Council, District 1: Nancy Wilcox, 469, 472; Kenneth Judy, 424, 430; District 2: Sharon Lynch, 674, 681; M. Richards, 473, 477; District 3: Roger Brown, 668, 676 ; Tandra Mays, 374, 377; District 4, Kim Coram, 355, 362; John Sandy, 332, 336; District 5: J.R. Carpenter, 505, 516; Joseph Backus, 294, 297; District 6: Mike Reynolds, 948,956; District 7: John Kelly, 1,209, 1,218; District 8: John Rockhold, 669, 675; Jim Knapp, 567; District 9: W. James Reed, 870, 880; Julia Ann Monroe, 595, 604.
* Vienna Council: Paul Thornton, 2,601, 2,624; Steve Stephens, 2,523, 2,541; Bruce Rogers, 1,912, 1,922; Roger Bibbee, 1,878, 1,892; Jim Miracle, 1,705, 1,721; Mike Elam, 1,480, 1,515; Roger Conley, 1,287, 1,300; Jim Asbury, 1,121, 1,137; Dave Cyrus, 1,011, 1,016; Larry Godfrey, 976, 985; James Sims, 769, 775; Matthew Whited, 622, 624; Jack Heater, 461, 465.
* Ballot on Constitutional Amendment: Against, 17,350, 17,513; For: 13,924, 14,093.
* Library Levy: For, 19,331, 19,562; against: 12,410, 12,511.
