Document text
53 °F Forecast | Road Cams Wednesday, February 25, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend February 8, 2004 Since You Asked Hard work aids quick vote tally I’m always amazed at how fast the election results are posted. How do they count so many ballots so fast? I realize they probably use electronic equipment, but I thought they couldn’t start counting until after 8 p.m. on election day. How do they do it? — Michelle B., Phoenix It does seem like magic, doesn’t it, Michelle. But, according to Jackson County election officials it’s a lot of hard work. Advertisement As ballots come in, signatures are verified by a worker against signatures compiled in the computer. If there are any problems, the elections office contacts the voter in question. On the morning of election day, the ballots that have already been received are tallied, but the results are suppressed until 8 p.m. that night. Still, not all votes are tallied at that point. For instance, on Measure 30, 59,971 signatures were counted by 8 p.m. But the count is now 68,215, and this number could change slightly as more signatures are verified or discounted. Michelle, you’ll have to wait until Friday, Feb. 13, for the final official count. Send questions to "Since You Asked," Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by e-mail to [email protected] . We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times