By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
Two voters received the incorrect ballots during advanced voting for the Hays USD 489 school bond election, the Ellis County Clerk said Monday.
Bobbi Dreiling, Ellis County Clerk, said an audit of the ballots cast during advance voting revealed two people had been given ballots that included the city sales tax question when they should have received ballots with only the bond question.
She said the mistake was a human error in her office.
Dreiling said there is no way to correct the issue now that the votes are cast.
The incorrect ballots will only be an issue if the sales tax portion of the school bond passes or fails by two votes or less. If that happens, the election could be contested.
Dreiling said the issue has been corrected for in-person voting at the polls Tuesday. The only polling location that will receive ballots that do not include the sales tax question will be St. Nicholas Church.
The polls for the school bond election will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday.
The Hays USD 489 is proposing a $143.5 million bond. The main project included in the bond is the construction of a new high school. However, the existing high school also will be renovated into a new middle school, and the middle school will be renovated into a new elementary school.
Roosevelt and O'Loughlin elementary schools also will be renovated.
The second question on the ballot for city of Hays residents asks to use a half-cent sales tax to help pay for the bond.
The bond issue is not contingent on the sales tax question passing.
Cover photo provided by Pixabay