Hand Count Coming: Marston requests recount in bid for Wasco DA seat
Kara Davis and Travis Marston were separated by just 60 votes in the Certified Official results of the May 21 Primary. Marston who is seeking the Wasco District Attorney seat requested a recount on Tuesday, July 2.
By Tom Peterson
The Dalles, Ore., July 2, 2024 — Travis Marston requested a recount in his bid to become Wasco County District Attorney.
Marston lost the tight race by 60 votes, according to the Certifed Official Results on June 12.
Kara Davis grabbed 3,166 votes to Marston’s 3,106.
The race has been a nail-biter for arguably the most important position in law enforcement in Wasco County.
“We got the directive today,” said Wasco County Assistant Election Clerk Chrissy Zaugg. “Travis requested the recount.”
Boxes of ballots at the Wasco County Courthouse photographed for the election audit during the May Primary.
Several teams are expected to do a hand count of the 6,795 ballots that were returned during the May 21 primary, Zaugg said. The count is expected to occur between July 22 and July 26, with results to be posted near the end of the month if all goes according to initial plans.
Zaugg said minimally two teams of two people each will conduct the hand count during that time. She said a third team of two will also be employed to speed up the process if additional counters are available.
In the count process, team members will both check each ballot and place it in one of several boxes - one labeled with Marston’s or Davis’ name, one marked undervote and one marked overvote.
The second team will then double-check the ballots in each box, ensuring that they were sorted correctly.
Over Under?
An overvote occurs when a voter marks two or more candidate choices. An undervote occurs when the voter does not mark any choice for the candidate. In either case, those votes are not counted for any candidate.
“Each overvote and undervote ballot must be examined by the counting board to confirm that the voter did, in fact, cast an overvote or an undervote,” Zaugg said.
Counting Costs
If the hand count flips the election results and Marston is certified as the winner of the race, Wasco County will have to pick up the tab for the cost of the count - somewhere between $2,300 to $5,000, Zaugg said. However, if Marston loses the election, he or his campaign will pay for the recount.
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