All Yakima Ballots Counted; Three Races Remain Close

The turnout for the November general election was 34 percent, well above the 25 percent the Yakima County Auditor's Office predicted at the beginning of election season. Auditor Charles Ross says all of the ballots have been counted. He says the office received 40,612 ballots of the 119,184 that were mailed to registered voters.
Three races remain close.

City of Sunnyside Council Position 5, Mike Farmer vs. Julia Hart is tied with 537 votes each. This race has 11 ballots challenged; 6 have non-matching signatures and 5 are unsigned.

City of Wapato Council Position 5, Tony Guzman vs Frances Ayres is tied with 161 votes each. This race has 4 ballots challenged; 2 have non-matching signatures and 2 are unsigned.

City of Union Gap Council Position 5, David Matson vs David Hansen, David Hansen is leading by one vote, 306 to 307. This race has 2 ballots challenged; 1 non-matching signature and 1 unsigned.

Ross says all the voters with challenged ballots have been contacted and are working with the auditors office.

The election will be certified on Nov. 26. Ross says if any race is tied or within the recount margin they will conduct hand recounts of those races. He says "If any race is tied after the recount the winner is determined by a coin toss."