The City of Marshall says that Michael Varner has been identified as the top vote-getter from last week’s race for Ward Three councilman.
In a statement released Friday, Apr. 17, the city says a directive from the Election Division of the Missouri Secretary of State’s office regarding the race led to the conclusion that Varner had received the most write-in votes based on voter intent. The statement then reads that the city, “has no authority to recount ballots, reinterpret voter intent, alter certified results, or substitute its judgment for that of election officials. The City Council’s role following certification is limited to recognizing the certified results and seating the candidate who received the highest number of lawful votes, as determined by the election authority.”
KMMO News has obtained the e-mail sent by the Secretary of State’s office, which identified Varner and Aaron Gibson as the top two vote-getters. Citing Chapter 115 of Missouri State Statutes, which allows write-in votes to be counted when variations in spelling or minor misspelling still clearly indicate voter intent, the office found that Varner had received 45 of the 140 write-in votes cast, while Gibson received 41. Mike Mills, who also formally declared his intent to run for the seat as a write-in, received 35. The Secretary of State’s office added that the variations were, “appropriately included in the certified results provided by the local election authority.”
Varner is expected to assume the Ward Three seat that will be vacated by Dan Brandt after the initial portion of the next Marshall City Council meeting this Tuesday evening.
Click here for a copy of Saline County’s official results, or view the list of counted write-in votes for Ward Three below.
Registered write-in candidates are noted in bold, including variations and misspellings recognized by the Missouri Secretary of State’s office
Aaron Gibson 39
Michael Varner 38
JL Waters 1
Mike Mills 33
Norene Gaskill 2
Pat Martin 1
Adam Arth 1
Richard Machholz 1
James Miller 1
Erin Meyer 2
Bobby Smith 2
Mary Williams 1
Sara Brennan 1
Tom Townsend 1
Melanie Campbell 1
Geo Hamilton 1
Mike Varner 6
M. Varner 1
Mark Mills 2
Michael Mills 1
Michal Mills 1
Erin Gibson 1
Aron Gibson 1
Raymond Gibson 1