Wood County Clerk Joe Gonzales presents provisional ballots to the Wood County Commission meeting Monday as the canvassing board to go over a number of provisional ballots to determine which ones would be added to the vote totals. The commission approved 46 provisional ballots to be added to the totals. The session had a number of people attend to observe the proceedings. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

PARKERSBURG – The race for the 10th Delegate seat is separated by three votes following the Wood County Commission reviewing a number of provisional ballots during the canvassing process held Monday at the Wood County Courthouse.

The commission gathered on the fourth floor of the court Monday as the canvassing board to go over and review 86 provisional ballots to determine which ones would be approved to be added to the official tally with 46 approved to be counted.

Following the tally, incumbent Republican Del. Bill Anderson was short three votes to Republican challenger Justin Beanard with Beanard having 829 votes to Anderson’s 826.

Both Anderson and Beanard attended the canvassing session as did a number of other people. An observer from the West Virginia Secretary of State’s office was also on hand.

A hand count of three randomly picked precincts, 32, 82 and 56A, was still underway Monday afternoon and was expected to be completed today. Afterward, the commission is expected to finalize the vote totals.

Wood County Clerk Joe Gonzales and special election employee Mark Rhodes run the provisional ballots that were accepted by the Wood County Commission during the canvassing process Monday at the Wood County Courthouse. The county approved 46 provisional ballots to be added to the vote totals. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

Once the vote count was announced between Anderson and Beanard, county officials explained what the process would be if Anderson wanted a recount and what both candidates could do.

Following Election Day, Anderson was originally down by five votes in the unofficial tally with 822 to Beanard’s 827. Both men gained votes during the canvas.

“This is the first canvas I have attended because the vote was so close,” Anderson said. “I narrowed the margin a little bit.”

Anderson said he has never seen the vote tabulators malfunction in anyway that would throw the results into question. He recalled a county clerk race many years ago where the clerk lost by around 50 votes. The clerk was at peace with the accuracy of the count which he agreed with, Anderson said.

“I’m probably not inclined to ask for a recount,” he said after the vote total was announced.

Wood County Clerk Joe Gonzales talks to Republican candidate for the House of Delegates 10th District Justin Beanard Monday during the canvass of provisional ballots from last week’s election. Following the addition of the approved provisional ballots, Beanard was leading Republican incumbent Bill Anderson 829-826. It was explained to Anderson how he could seek a recount and what would be required of both candidates if that happens. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

Wood County Commission President Blair Couch explained what a recount would entail with Anderson being required to put up a bond. If the recount would reach a certain point and Anderson was ahead, he could stop the recount then it would be up to Beanard if he wanted the recount to continue with him having to also post a bond.

“This is a close call,” Couch said. “We can’t certify until the hand count is complete.

“We have never seen a machine total be off during the hand count.”

The commission agreed to set the bond amount of $100, if the candidates ultimately decide if they want to do a recount.

Beanard said the race was really close and he did so well against someone with Anderson’s experience.

Republican State Delegate Bill Anderson shakes hands with his challenger Republican Justin Beanard for the 10th District seat. After the Wood County Commission reviewed provisional ballots and added the approved ballots on Monday, Beanard was leading Anderson 829-826. Anderson could request a recount, but on Monday he said he did not think he would seek one. The hand count of three randomly picked voting precincts will continue today. Once completed, the county will finalize the results. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

“It was really a close call,” he said. “(Anderson) was a great delegate for over 30 years.

“It is unimaginable that I beat him or even came close in general. It was a great experience. If he does a recount and he would go up somehow, I would do my bond to make sure it was fair.”

Wood County Clerk Joe Gonzales said they ran all of the thumb drives they had from Election Day again, including one that was misplaced the night of the election and was located last Thursday. County officials had to use a backup thumb drive and the paper ballots initially to do a count. Officials ran the recovered thumb drive Monday to double-check their initial results.

“All the numbers matched,” Gonzales said.

Some of the reasons the county commissioners decided to not count provisional ballots included people voting in a primary they were not eligible to vote in. The West Virginia Republican Party had voted to close its primary and only allow registered Republicans to vote in it.

Officials said they still had a number of people wanting to vote in the Republican primary who were not registered Republicans.

Other reasons on why a provisional ballot was not accepted included people letting their voter registration lapse and the voter showing up at a different precinct than what they were assigned.

There were three absentee ballots that arrived after Election Day that did not count.

Other rejected ballots included convicted felons who did not have all their necessary paperwork in order to be reinstated on the voter rolls; and poll workers voting in the wrong precinct (they are encouraged to do early voting).

There was one instance where a 91-year-old woman walked to a nearby polling place that was close to her residence, but it was not in the correct precinct. Her correct precinct voting location was over a mile away. The commission decided to count the ballot. Officials said they will send her a letter that would encourage her to look at requesting an absentee ballot in the future.

Accepted ballots included someone moved and who were now voting in the correct precinct, but their voter registration had not been updated yet.

Some people registered to vote through the Department of Motor Vehicles and the county had not been notified yet. The County Clerk’s office had to check with the DMV to make sure everything was done properly.

Wood County Commissioner Jimmy Colombo credited the County Clerk’s personnel with doing the checks on the provisional ballots to make sure they are being counted or rejected for the right reasons.

“I have always been impressed in how they go over things to make sure the vote can be counted and that the person is taken care of,” he said.

At one point, West Virginia Secretary of State Kris Warner came to the Wood County Courthouse. He was nearby on another matter in Tyler County and decided to stop by the Wood County Courthouse.

“We have people all over the state right now,” Warner said. “(Having an observer) is just because (Wood County) had a very close race.

“It is just part of the standard process.”

He had people in Harrison County, Kanawha County and Cabell County observing close races. Wood, Cabell, Harrison all have “excellent clerks” who “know what they are doing,” Warner said.

No one specifically requested the Secretary of State’s office be there at the Wood County Courthouse, the Wood County observer said.

The hand count will resume today at 9 a.m.

Contact Brett Dunlap at bdunlap@newsandsentinel.com