By By JONATHAN CLAYBORNE
Staff Writer
A handful of minor errors didn’t affect the outcome of any races held last week on primary day in Beaufort County.
That information was unveiled Tuesday during canvassing conducted by the Beaufort County Board of Elections.
“It wasn’t one of those cliff-hanger elections,” commented Tom Payne, chairman of the board.
In fact, election information uploaded to the N.C. State Board of Elections’ Web site was correct, related Kellie Harris Hopkins, Beaufort County’s elections director.
The only substantial errors were made verbally on primary night, when officials called out results at the elections offices in Washington, Hopkins said.
Those mistakes were simple misreads or transcription snafus in reporting to the media and the public who were present at the elections offices.
The snags had no outcome on the election, Hopkins shared.
For instance, on primary night it was announced that Republican commissioner candidate Buddy Harrell had collected 30 votes in the Beaver Dam precinct.
Harrell actually scored three votes in that precinct, and the number was correctly recorded by local elections officials, who reported it accurately to the State Board of Elections, according to Hopkins.
“That’s why you put unofficial,” said Archie Harding, secretary of the Board of Elections, referring to the fact that all vote totals are unofficial until canvassed by the board.
Hopkins advised the media and the public to double-check locally announced results on the state board’s Web site, adding that the Web site information is distributed electronically to safeguard against human error.
Hopkins said elections workers could wait until posting the information with the state before releasing primary-night totals, but indicated that move wouldn’t be favored by regular voters or officials.
“I think the people want to know as quick as possible,” said Payne.
No recounts were required in the county because no results were close enough to warrant that move, Hopkins said.
“We do go through poll books, we verify through this,” she stated, speaking of the figures in question.
Also present for canvassing was Jim Vosburgh, the third member of the Board of Elections.
No members of the public attended the meeting, held late Tuesday morning at the elections offices.
BOX:
Beaufort County
primary results
Total registered voters in the county: 31,328
Total ballots cast: 6,230
Democratic ballots cast: 3,706
Republican ballots cast: 2,149
Nonpartisan ballots cast: 82
Source: Beaufort County Board of Elections