Seward canvass board counts 64 ballots in city council race

The Seward Canvass Board counted 64 ballots Friday from the city's Oct. 6 municipal election. The board set aside several others because the voters were registered outside city limits or registered after the deadline.

The ballots counted Friday were cast outside the regular Election Day count and go toward the totals of the five candidates running for two Seward City Council seats.

City election staff laid out 54 absentee-in-person ballots, eight by-mail ballots and three special-needs ballots, plus questioned ballots from Election Day voters who were not on the precinct register. Staff said all eight mail ballots arrived on or before Election Day, so postmarks were not an issue.

"In addition to a voter not being registered in the City of Seward, there are a variety of other reasons why a ballot cannot be counted in this election," said Lynn, who chaired the board.

Board members checked each envelope for a voter signature, a voter identifier and a witness or representative signature. Ballots from voters registered outside city limits or after the deadline went into the no-count pile. Two questioned ballots from voters listed as inactive and purged stayed in; a city staff member said those voters are still eligible under the state standard.

The board accepted 51 absentee-in-person ballots, all eight mail ballots, three special-needs ballots and two questioned ballots.

Robert Barnwell received 33 votes. Rhonda Hubbard received 31. Matthew Cope received 23. Victor Maddox received 20. Julie S. Crites received 16. Three votes went to write-ins. Callers read up to two council names from each ballot during the tally, so the vote totals exceed the number of ballots.

The city said in 2025 that canvass results are presented to the City Council for certification.