Investigation, recount coming in race for seat in Missouri House
BRANSON MO NEWS: JEFFERSON CITY • Missouri’s election czar is investigating problems that led to a polling place in St. Charles County opening 90 minutes late earlier this month.Unofficial vote tallies in the Republican and Democrat primaries to represent House District 102 were within one-half of one percent – close enough for any of the four candidates to request a recount. Republican Ron Hicks beat his opponent, Bryan Cooper, by just four votes out of 4,558 ballots cast. Democrat John F. Foster beat his opponent, Gary Wester, by just 15 votes out of 3,141 ballots cast.
“It is unacceptable that precinct voters were turned away, possibly changing the outcome of an election,” Ashcroft said.Cooper told the Post-Dispatch Monday that he is planning to file for a recount. He said he has affidavits from voters who said they were turned away in the morning and couldn’t make it back to the polling place before it closed.“We feel the people lost their opportunity to vote,” Cooper said.On the day of the primary, Ashcroft’s office received comments via social media and telephone regarding the locked polling place doors at the Monticello Clubhouse. The office contacted the county election office, which said the doors were locked and malfunctioning due to a lightning strike.Later, the Secretary of State’s office was told that the building owner had changed the locks and the election judges did not have the correct key to enter the premises.“We plan to talk to local officials, disenfranchised voters, the owners of the facility who leased the building to the county, and others,” Ashcroft said. “This cannot happen again. Voters deserve to be able to open the door when they show up to cast their ballot.”St. Charles County Election Director Rich Chrismer said a new election could be ordered if the irregularities …
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