Election canvas numbers change nothing

By James Tilson

Staff writer

7-5-2018

MANTI—The Republican primary election results for Sanpete County are now official. The Sanpete County Commission approved the election canvas and audit results at the commission meeting on Tuesday.

County Clerk Sandy Neill said the audit approved at the Tuesday, July 2 meeting confirmed that election results did not change from election night.

However, Neill did relate a humorous story of election clerks validating the ballots. On one particular ballot, the clerks noticed the signature on the ballot did not match their records. The clerks called the voter and he finally admitted that he had his wife sign for him, Neill said.

“If you told her to sign for you, it still doesn’t count,” she said.

The voter came away impressed the clerks’ effort to check the ballots.

Out of 7,630 registered Republican voters, 4,251 actually cast ballots, for a turnout of 55.71 percent. In the commission seat A race, Edwin Sunderland got 2,256 votes (or 55 percent) to Justin Atkinson’s 1, 851 votes (45 percent).

In the precincts, Atkinson showed well in the southern parts of the county, winning Axtell SSD, Centerfield City, Ephraim City 2, Fayette Town, Gunnison City, Manti City 1, Mayfield City and Sterling. Atkinson also won Mt. Pleasant City 1 and Spring City precincts. But Sunderland won all the other northern and central Sanpete precincts.

In the state Senate race, Mitt Romney won the Sanpete vote 2,833 (67 percent) to Mike Kennedy’s 1,406 (33 percent).