TULSA, Okla. — The recount is finished, and the results are unchanged.
Staff and volunteers from the Tulsa County Election Board completed a four-day effort to confirm the mayoral election results. It was a historic effort, the largest in Tulsa County’s history and, poll workers believe, the largest in the state’s history.
The recount came after third place finisher Brent VanNorman paid a fee and requested it.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to, once again, demonstrate to the people of Tulsa County that Oklahoma's election system is accurate,” Gwen Freeman, board secretary, said.
The Tulsa County Election Board earned that opportunity, hand-counting more than 55,000 ballots from voters like Marvin Battle.
“I feel it's my duty, as an American citizen, as well as the causes that we’ve taken for that right,” Battle said.
Battle’s confident, he said, that each time he votes, it will be counted accurately. The recount should confirm Battle’s feelings.
Freeman, the Tulsa County Election Board secretary, led the effort. Her staff found 36 “over-votes.” Those are ballots with extraneous markings.
WATCH: Election recount could cost $12,000 per day:
“I’m extremely confident in the process,” Carolyn Battle, a Tulsa voter, said.
Carolyn’s vote, and thousands of others, were all accounted for. Freeman said the board did not find one missing vote.
“I believe that if you don’t vote, you don’t count,” Carolyn Battle said, “In order to make a difference in all elections, we need to vote.”
Karen Keith and Monroe Nichols advance to the runoff.
2 News contacted VanNorman to see if he plans to endorse one of the candidates. His team sent us a response.
Brent has not made a determination on that (support) yet. He will not be endorsing either, as of now.
“We appreciate the hard work of the poll workers and vote counters who ensured every vote was accurately counted,” Keith said.
“Faith in our system and integrity in our election process are critical in our democracy,” Nichols said.
VanNorman accepted the results, “the recount has played out fairly, and we stand by the results."
“If anyone ever doubts whether their vote counts or doesn’t count, we make sure that we go back and recount all those ballots, no matter how many, and no matter how long it takes,” Freeman said.
The runoff is set for Nov. 5, right alongside the presidential election.
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