By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
Ballots still outstanding and ballots yet to be counted in the November General Election in Val Verde County could change the results in two local races, Val Verde County Clerk Teresa Esther Chapoy has confirmed.
There are two types of ballots not yet counted: absentee ballots by mail and ballots sent out for Federal Postcard Applications, Chapoy said. As of noon Thursday, Chapoy said her office had received six absentee ballots by mail and 35 FPCA ballots.
She said no more absentee ballots by mail will be accepted, since the deadline to receive them has passed, and as of noon Thursday, 127 FPCA ballots remained outstanding, and those ballots will be accepted until the Tuesday deadline.
The deadline to receive absentee ballots by mail was 5 p.m. on Nov. 6, the day after the election, and the deadline to receive FPCA ballots is 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 12, Chapoy said.
Chapoy said her office does not open or count those ballots.
“All we do is receive them,” Chapoy said.
She said opening and counting those ballots is the responsibility of the early voting ballot board. The early voting ballot board is comprised of four local citizens, both Republican and Democrat, who will meet again on Wednesday, Nov. 13, to make their final tallies.
The results of those tallies will be added to the unofficial totals announced at the county courthouse after the polls closed on Election Day.
The results of the election become final when they are canvassed by Val Verde County Commissioners Court.
Chapoy said the court will meet in special session at 9 a.m. Friday, Nov. 15, to canvass the final results and announce them to the public.
Two of the local contested races were so close that the votes contained in the outstanding ballots could change their results.
The outstanding ballots could change the results in the races for county tax assessor collector and for Precinct 1 county commissioner.
In the race for county tax assessor collector, only 22 votes separate Elodia “Loly” Garcia, the incumbent and Democratic Party nominee, and Maricar Ortega Chattler, the Republican Party nominee. Unofficial vote totals announced on the night of the election showed Garcia with 22 more votes than Chattler in that race.
In the race for Precinct 1 county commissioner, 77 votes separate Democratic Party nominee Kerr Wardlaw and Republican Party nominee Alfinio “Al” Flores. Unofficial vote totals announced on the night of the election showed Wardlaw with 77 more votes than Flores in that race.
Chapoy told The 830 Times as of noon Thursday, there were 127 Federal Postcard Application (FPCA) ballots that had been sent out but not yet received back by the county clerk’s office.
Additionally, Chapoy said the clerk’s office had received six absentee ballots by mail by the required deadline, meaning they were postmarked by Nov. 5 and returned to the clerk’s office by 5 p.m. on Nov. 6.
Chapoy said the FPCA ballots are typically requested and sent in by voters serving in the military or other citizens working overseas. She said these must be postmarked on Nov. 5 and have five days to be returned to the clerk’s office.
Chapoy said since five days after Election Day is Sunday, Nov. 10, and Monday is a holiday (Veterans Day), any outstanding FPCA ballots must be received by the county clerk’s office by 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 12.
Chapoy said the county clerk’s office here sent out a total of 477 absentee ballots by mail and received 410 absentee ballots by mail as of Election Day. She said only six additional absentee ballots by mail were received by the clerk’s office by the 5 p.m. Nov. 6 deadline, and no additional absentee ballots by mail will be accepted.
Chapoy said the county clerk’s office also sent out a total of 688 FPCA ballots and received 526 by Election Day. She said 22 additional FPCA ballots were received Wednesday, and 13 more FPCA ballots were received Thursday.
She reiterated FPCA ballots may be received by her office until 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 12.
“I know that it’s nail-biting, but that’s the system,” Chapoy said.
The writer can be reached at delriomagnoliafan@gmail.com.
