School Board Vote Gets Recount

Most results of the May 12 primary election are final – but some results are not completely final yet, according to Cathy Sibal, Kimball County Clerk.

The hotly contested school board race requires a recount. The recount will be conducted on May 28 at 1:00 pm at the Kimball County Courthouse.

The nine school board candidates were to be narrowed to six candidates. Receiving top votes for school board were Chauncey Pederson, followed by Lanny Little and Albert Hargreaves, all with more than 500 votes each. The top fourth place vote getter was Tom O’Brien with 363, fifth was Heather Norberg with 296 votes and sixth place presented a problem as there was a tie between Jennifer Griebel and Maggie Laughlin each with 264 votes.

If the recount totals are the same as the original count, then the canvassing board will decide the method to break the tie, either by drawing cards or flipping a coin.

Kimball Country primary election had a great showing as 48.09% of registered voters marked their ballots and either returned them or went to the polls. 1,299 people voted out of a possible 2,701, which was the largest voter turnout in many, many years. The next closest was in 2006 with 45.14% voting.

Kimball County voters passed three property tax levies, including the Kimball County Agricultural Society, which will not exceed 1.15 cents per $100 of taxable valuation until the fiscal year 2024-25. Also passing by less than 100 votes was the property tax levy for the Plains Historical Society. The historical society will have a levy of ¼ of 1 cent per $100 of taxable valuation until 2024-25.

Finally, the Dix Cemetery received approval for a 1 cent per $100 of taxable valuation until 2024-25.

Nonpartisan candidate Steve Erdman was easily re-elected to his seat in the Unicameral, District 47, as he ran unopposed.

Local candidates surviving the primary were Carl Standard for county commissioner, and he also will be unopposed in the general election.

On the Republican side in the presidential primary, Donald J. Trump received 91.38% of the vote in Nebraska and on the Democratic ticket Joe Biden received 76.89% of the vote.

In the U.S. senatorial race, Sen. Ben Sasse beat out Republican Matt Innis and will meet up with Democrat Chris Janicek in November.

Incumbent Adrain Smith received 82.64% of the Republican vote and will face off against Mark Elworth Jr. for the Third Congressional District, Libertarian, Dustin C. Hobbs will also be on the ballot.

The U.S. Constitution states that the general election will be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, November 3, 2020.