Shawnee County won’t count 25 of 26 votes declared provisional last week because the person who cast them failed to show required photo identification. The county’s board of canvassers — made up of county commissioners Mary Thomas and Shelly Buhler as well as H.R. Cook, general manager of the Kansas Expocentre — voted to count one such ballot Monday. Election commissioner Elizabeth Ensley Deiter said the person who cast that ballot at a polling place later came to the election office and presented photo identification. The Aug. 7 election was the first in which the state has required voters to present picture identification to cast a ballot. Among ballots not counted for lack of identification, Ensley Deiter said many voters simply forgot to bring identification. Two refused to show identification, while another showed an expired driver’s license.
Canvassers also voted 3-0 Monday to certify the results of all of the Aug. 7 primary elections in Shawnee County except those affected by a mix-up at a southwest Topeka polling place, which resulted in their scheduling an Aug. 28 special election. The county commission meets as the board of canvassers after elections to decide whether to count ballots election workers declared provisional after questioning their legality for various reasons.
Commissioner Ted Ensley, who is running as a Democrat for the 52nd District seat, recused himself from serving on the canvassing board to avoid any appearance of impropriety because it was decided a matter involving 52nd District Republican candidates. Regarding that matter, the board decided to hold the Aug. 28 special election.
Full Article: Some county ballots not counted for lack of photo ID | CJOnline.com.