Scott County officials are gearing up for the next phase in the election process after a post-election review raised eyebrows among voters. Scott County Administrator Lezlie Vermillion laid out the road ahead, "We’ve heard and understand the concerns expressed by some people about the 54A election, and we share many of these concerns. But it’s important to note that Scott County has been and will continue to follow state statute to the letter of the law," according to a statement released by the county.
The furrowed brows stem from what looked like election night blunders. In charge of the county’s election oversight, Julie Hanson, the elections manager, along with Vermillion assured that there was simply a minor snag in timing with the reporting process, which many counties experienced, and which was corrected swiftly. "The timing glitch was identified quickly and remedied within 15 minutes," Vermillion said. They stress that these were preliminary and not final numbers that had been mistakenly understood as the latter, reported by Scott County.
Furthermore, a discrepancy was spotted in absentee ballot counts in the City of Shakopee – 21 absentee records outnumbering the actual ballots. The discovery of the mismatch prompted an investigation, which is still ongoing. However, Vermillion reaffirmed the reliability of the system, "The checks, balances, failsafes, and backstops of the election process worked as intended," as per their public statements.
Coming up next, a hand recount for legislative district 54A is on the schedule for Scott County. This process, which is to commence on November 21 at the Scott County Government Center, will be public and funded by county coffers. After this recount is complete, Vermillion explained that next Monday will mark the certification of the results by the canvassing board, limited in authority to only audit and verify actual ballots in their possession. "The canvassing board has very limited authority in this situation, any remedy sought after certification is not part of the canvassing board’s role," added Vermillion. The option to contest the election remains, with a seven-day window through the courts, post-certification.
As some residents question the possibility of a special election, officials were quick to clarify the extent of their authority. "We’ve been hearing questions about why the Scott County Board of Commissioners is not calling for a special election," Hanson said. "But the County Board does not have the authority to do so," settling the matter as outlined by Hanson and shared by Scott County. For those seeking further information, inquiries can be directed to Julie Hanson at 952.496.8057 or through her email listed by the county.
