Because no district judge will allow the county to correct poll workers’ mistakes by opening locked ballot boxes tonight, some absentee ballots won’t be counted until tomorrow.
In four precincts – 30, 49, 78 and 90 – poll workers locked absentee ballots – if any were cast – in the boxes. That wasn’t supposed to happen, and the county can’t open the boxes without a court order.
District judges have been asked by the county and both parties, but have refused to issue such an order tonight, so it may be hard to predict close races.
This further compounds the fact that the judges have also refused to issue an order tonight allowing the county to correct another poll worker mistake and count 103 early votes cast in Hatch.
“These races, you’re not going to be able to call tonight, especially the close ones,” said county spokesman Jess Williams.
County Elections Supervisor Lynn Ellins said there may be no absentee ballots in the boxes. It’s impossible to know until they are opened.