93.9 The Eagle – The News and Talk of Columbia, MO
Boone County’s clerk says it will take about a week to certify Tuesday’s election for Columbia’s third ward council seat.
Incumbent Karl Skala and challenger Roy Lovelady finished in a tie, with 1,102 votes each. Boone County Clerk Brianna Lennon tells 939 the Eagle’s “Wake Up Columbia” that they’re in a holding pattern, noting that military votes are due by Friday.
“The statute has a number of options. There’s the option to have a full new election, there’s the option to flip a coin or to draw names out of a hat,” Lennon says.
Tuesday’s voter turnout in Boone County was 24 percent, shattering Lennon’s original projection of 15 percent. More than 19,000 Columbia residents cast ballots in Tuesday’s mayoral election. Clerk Lennon says it’s the most votes ever cast in a Columbia municipal election.
She notes strong voter turnouts citywide, including the hotly-contested third ward race.
“If you look at some of our city council races that we’ve had in the past, this tie was not a small tie where it was like you know 100 votes to 100 votes. Over 2,000 votes were cast in the third ward race,” says Lennon.
You can hear the full “Wake Up Columbia” interview with Ms. Lennon here.
