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Marion candidate’s 1-vote loss now 2-vote victory

Times West Virginian photo by Emily Gallagher Kandice Nuzum (left), Mary Gay Priolette and Julie Kincaid from the County Clerk's office organize precinct information for canvassing Monday.
Times West Virginian photo by Emily Gallagher
Kandice Nuzum (left), Mary Gay Priolette and Julie Kincaid from the County Clerk’s office organize precinct information for canvassing Monday.

FAIRMONT, W.Va. — Incumbent Burley “Butch” Tennant defeated Rick Garcia by two votes for the Democratic nomination for a seat on the Marion County Commission.

After a little more than five hours, the unofficial results of last week’s election were canvassed Monday.

The final results for the Marion County Commission Democratic race were Tennant receiving 2,518 votes; Garcia receiving 2,516 votes; and Daniel Weber receiving 917 votes. Republican candidate William “Bill” Burdick, who ran unopposed, received 1,566 votes, earning the Republican spot on the general election ballot.

During the canvassing process, which is done by the Marion County Commission, it was found that votes were not counted for.

Commissioner Randy Elliott said there were originally 88 votes cast in precinct 28 in Barrackville, when in fact there were 135 votes cast there. He said if the mistake hadn’t been made and all the votes were accounted for on Election Day, Tennant would have been ahead of Garcia by six votes instead of being down one vote.

“We went over it twice and found it to be true that there should have been 135 votes, and everybody’s vote does and should count,” Elliott said.

After the results came out, Elliott announced that Tennant won the spot on the ballot over Garcia. He said the results are not official and that candidates have 48 hours to post a $300 bond for a recount of votes.

If no recount is called for, the votes will become official at 2:13 p.m. Wednesday…

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