One vote at a time: Election results being finalized

Published 12:01 am Thursday, November 6, 2014

Resolution board members Wilbur Johnson, right, Ralph Jennings, center, and Johnny Junkin, left, open up absentee ballots while Adams County Court Judge candidate Patricia Dunmore watches at the Adams County Courthouse Wednesday. The resolution board is in charge of resolving issues on ballots that were not correctly completed to best decide what the voter’s intent was when casting a ballot. (Sam Gause / The Natchez Democrat)

Resolution board members Wilbur Johnson, right, Ralph Jennings, center, and Johnny Junkin, left, open up absentee ballots while Adams County Court Judge candidate Patricia Dunmore watches at the Adams County Courthouse Wednesday. The resolution board is in charge of resolving issues on ballots that were not correctly completed to best decide what the voter’s intent was when casting a ballot. (Sam Gause / The Natchez Democrat)

NATCHEZ — The election process continued Wednesday in the Miss-Lou, but no results changed following Tuesday’s midterm elections.

In Adams County, the 494 absentee ballots cast before the election were reviewed at the courthouse.

In the race for Adams County Court Judge, candidates Patricia Dunmore and Walt Brown will take the election to a runoff Nov. 25.

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Dunmore received 2,988 votes, or 36.59 percent of the unofficial results. Brown took 2,478 votes, or 30.34 percent.

Alma Fletcher, election commissioner for District 5, runs absentee ballots through the vote counting machine at the courthouse Wednesday. (Sam Gause / The Natchez Democrat)

Alma Fletcher, election commissioner for District 5, runs absentee ballots through the vote counting machine at the courthouse Wednesday. (Sam Gause / The Natchez Democrat)

The official results will be completed in the coming days as the affidavit and absentee ballots are counted and certified.

Workers will continue reviewing absentee ballots today and add the nearly 100-affidavit ballots cast during the election to their workload, Circuit Clerk Eddie Walker said.

“Everything has gone exceptionally smooth so far in this election,” Walker said. “We haven’t any glitches or hitches.”

The runoff election for the judge’s seat will be the only thing on the ballot for the Nov. 25 election, Walker said.

“It’s going to be up to the voters to just get out there, get to the polls and do their jobs,” he said. “That’s also Thanksgiving week and you have a lot of kids out school with a lot of those parents already having plans so they might not be in town.”

Walker said his office would be open additional hours the two Saturdays before the election to allow for absentee voting.

In Concordia Parish, the race for the Seventh Judicial Court Judge became clearer for the candidate who led at the polls at the end of the night Tuesday.

The Louisiana Secretary of State reported John Reeves received 5,040 votes, or 50.12 percent, in Concordia and Catahoula Parishes for the Division B judge’s seat.

Jack McLemore received 3,272 votes, or 32.54 percent, in both parishes, while a third candidate, Ronnie McMillin, received 1,743 votes, or 17.33 percent.

Reeves said Wednesday some ballots would be examined Friday at the Clerk of Courts’ offices in Concordia and Catahoula parishes.

Reeves said he was confident Wednesday calling the election in his favor.

“I am very appreciative of the overwhelming support of the voters and have enjoyed meeting many people from both parishes,” Reeves said. “I have talked to both Ronnie (McMillin) and Jack (McLemore), and we had a cordial conversation about the election.”

In Concordia Parish, McLemore led the votes with a total of 2,695, or 42.23 percent. Reeves followed closely behind with 2,226, or 34.88 percent.

In Catahoula Parish, Reeves led the votes with 2,814 votes, or 76.61 percent. McLemore received a total of 577 votes, or 15.71 percent.

Reeves served 18 years as assistant district attorney for the late district attorney John Johnson.

“I really love what I do, and this is gives me an opportunity to continue doing that,” Reeves said. “I’m going to be a fair, impartial judge to the people of both parishes.”