Canvassing board verifies election results
Wakulla canvassing board on Friday: Judge Jill Walker, Commissioner Randy Merritt, Supervisor of Elections Joe Morgan and Tax Collector Lisa Craze.
By WILLIAM SNOWDEN Editor
The members of the Wakulla Canvassing Board met on Friday, Nov. 18, to verify and submit to the state the official results of the Nov. 8 election.
There were no changes in the outcome, but the canvassing reviewed and confirmed write-in votes. Of the 15,113 ballots cast in the election, there were 41 ballots with write-ins. The board verified that 4 votes were cast for write-in candidate Patricia Dyszer in the county commission district 4 race, and one vote was cast for U.S. Senate write-in candidate Edward Gray.
Other ballots included names not recognized as legitimate write-in candidates – or no names at all, where voters filled in the oval that said Write-in, but then left the line blank.
Two voters cast votes for candidate John Quinton in the county commission district 2 race and then wrote-in the name of district 2 candidate Fred Nichols in the district 4 race. (Nichols overhwlemingly won the district 2 race; and Quincee Messersmith was re-elected in the district 4 race.)
One voter wrote-in “Jesus” on the ballot. The canvassing board consists of Supervisor of Elections Joe Morgan, County Judge Jill Walker, Tax Collector Lisa Craze and Randy Merritt in his final duties as a county commissioner. He did not seek re-election after 12 years and finishes his duties on Monday, Nov. 21 when the canvassing board does a required recount of one race in one precinct.