Carson City Board of Supervisors accept canvass of 2016 general election vote

The Carson City Board of Supervisors accepted the canvass of the vote for the Nov. 8 election.

“The election went very well overall and there was a large turnout,” including a record number of absentee ballots, said Susan Merriwether, Carson City clerk-recorder.

Nearly 92 percent of Carson City registered voters cast ballots, including 58 percent or 15,966 voters during early voting, 25 percent or 6,935 voters on election day and 8 percent or 2,160 voters via absentee ballot.

Eleven voters, all on election day, were unreconciled, Merriwether said, due to problems with the voting equipment.

Merriwether said she and representatives from other counties will lobby the Nevada Legislature next year for funding to buy new voting machines and other devices.

“We have real concerns that the time has come and we really do need to replace the equipment,” she said.

There were nine so-called fleeing voters, five during early voting and four on election day, who signed in and received cards to vote but never voted, either leaving without using the card or inserting the card into the machine but not casting a vote.

Two voters on election day signed in mistakenly using sample ballots from another person in their household.

Later, when the people to whom the ballots belonged came into vote, the problem was detected, said Merriwether, and votes for all four individuals were recorded.

The board voted unanimously to accept the canvass with only one comment.

“I’d like to congratulate Brad, the mayor and John for winning the election,” said Jim Shirk.

Shirk, who ran for a second term in Ward 4, was defeated by John Barrette.

Shirk received 10,750 votes or 49 percent while Barrette received 11,139 votes or 51 percent.

Ward 2 Supervisor Brad Bonkowski garnered 12,935 votes or 59 percent while his opponent, Maurice White, received 8,910 votes or 41 percent.

Mayor Bob Crowell received 12,151 votes or 54 percent and Chris Carver received 10,531 or 46 percent.