Lincoln County Primary Election results
by KLCB 1230 AM Libby News Radio
June 4, 2008
Election officials in the County Clerk and Recorder office wrapped up the election count at about 3:45 am, Wednesday morning.
Counting the ballots was slowed by a larger than usual number of write-in votes...mostly the writing in of Republican candidates for County Commissioner on the Democrat primary ballot. Those numbers do not increase the total number received by that candidate but instead may make it possible to add a candidate to the Democrat side of the ticket in the November general election.
There are about two dozen provisional ballots that could change the final counts slightly. Provisional ballots are cast by people who have very recently moved to Lincoln County. Election officials must check with the county from where those voters moved to make sure that the person did not cast a ballot in both locations.
The most watched local race was the County Commissioner seat. Libby Mayor Tony Berget nosed out Jerry Okonski by a very narrow 42 votes.
The field of six finished: Berget at 25.7%; Okonski at 24.3%; Don Cox at 17.5%; Mike Munro at 12.8%; Lee Disney at 11.9%; and Dennis Souther at 3.8%.
Interestingly, there was a 3.2% under vote in the Commissioners race which had to be voted on the Republican ballot since no Democrat filed. Under votes are ballots with no selection in that field of candidates.
In the Presidential race Barack Obama took Lincoln County over Hillary Clinton 53.7% to 41.2%, which closely mirrored the state-wide numbers for both candidates.
The Lincoln County Transportation System Levy increase passed 49.3% to 32.2% with a very high 18.4% under vote, most likely due to voters not aware the levy appeared on the reverse side of the ballot.
While Berget will be the Republican candidate in the General Election this fall, he may not have secured the Commissioner's seat in Tuesday's primary, even though there were no Democrats running.
There is a quirk in the law that involves those 313 write-ins on the Democrat ballot. When those are counted, if Jerry Okonski gets 188 write-in votes cast, based on 5% of the votes in the 2006 commissioner's election, Okonski, even though a Republican, will be offered the opportunity to run against Berget on the Democrat position in the General Election in November.
KLCB asked Okonski, "Will you run on the Democrat ticket in November if given the opportunity? His reply, "We'll see what the numbers are first and then think about it."
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Story by KLCB 1230 AM Libby News Radio, www.todaysbestcountryonline.com
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