By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post
The results of the race for the third seat up for election on the Hays USD 489 school board in this month’s general election did not change after the remaining votes were tallied Monday during the election canvass.
Following the Nov. 2 general election, Megan Zampieri-Lillpopp led Cathy Hopkins by five votes for the final spot up for grabs on the board of education, 1,217 to 1,212.
At Monday’s special Ellis County Commission meeting to canvass the election, 34 of 37 provisional ballots were added to the total results and the margin of five votes remained the same, 1,224 to 1,219 in favor of Zampieri-Lillpopp.
Ellis County Clerk and Election Officer Bobbi Dreiling told the commission that no races changed as a result of the provisional ballots.
Provisional ballots, Dreiling said, were either the voter moved to a different address within the county, changed their name or were not registered in Ellis County.
The three ballots that could not be counted were because the voter was not registered in Ellis County.
Dreiling also said they conducted a post-election audit of two randomly selected races, as required by law, and the hand counted ballots matched the machine tally.
The official turnout was 19.79 percent.
The commission voted 3-0 to approve the canvass.