PORT TOWNSEND – Zane Wyll’s lead over Pete Langley for a Jefferson County Fire Protection District 1 commissioner seat narrowed to 11 votes on Wednesday after the county auditor’s third vote count.
Wyll had 1,887 votes, or 49.97 percent to Langley’s 1,876 or 49.68 percent.
The results could be headed for a mandatory recount, said Donna Eldridge, county auditor, but nothing was certain until Nov. 27 when the election is certified.
The election’s outcome hangs in the balance of 17 challenged ballots in the district race that remain uncountable because they have either no signatures or questionable signatures, Eldridge said.
A mandatory machine recount would be required if the tally comes within a .05 percent margin of difference, she said.
“Right now, it is at a .25 percent [margin]. which is a hand recount,” according to state law, she added.
Thursday’s count had brought the election margin to 24 votes. The latest results have added suspense to a race that has been too close to call since the Nov. 6 general election.
“Nothing like a fun horse race,” said Langley, 49, co-owners, founder and president of Port Townsend Foundary.
Langley said that, win or lose, he believes the results have “validated” his position that change is needed in the fire district that covers Chimacum and Cape George.
“I’m just kind of resigned that it’s going to take a while,” said Wyll, 65, a retired firefighter-paramedic for the city of Seattle who has served more than six years as a fire commissioner for Jefferson County Fire District 6
“I’d rather be 11 ahead than 11 behind. I’m hoping that I can maintain the lead.”
On Wednesday, 147 additional ballots were counted, bringing the total amount of ballots counted to 12,964 of the 20,928 ballots issued to Jefferson County voters.
That’s a 61.95 percent voter turnout.
The auditor said her elections division would attempt to rectify the challenged ballots by contacting the affected voters on Tuesday, advising them that they have until 5 p.m. Nov. 27, certification day, to make good on their ballots.
“Nothing is final until the 27th. It’s still unofficial,” Eldridge said.
