After this afternoon’s count, released by the County, “Approve” votes have a slim lead over “Reject” in the Ocean Shores Library lid lift/levy measure.

• Approve 1,047 (50.17%)

• Reject 1,040 (49.83%)

According to Julie Murphy of the Elections Department,there are still 427 questionable ballots to be resolved;

Check back, second tally to be released at 5 p.m. today, with County results including the supertight Library lid lift/levy vote.

With just 4 more “Reject” votes than “Approve” after the first count, what if the Ocean Shores Library lid lift/levy ends in a tie?
Asked that question, county auditor Vern Spatz responded by quoting state law for lid lift votes: “A simple majority is required for approval.”
Meaning there must be at least 1 more “Approve” vote than “Reject” vote. If it’s a dead heat, the lid lift/levy does not pass. Hundreds of votes are still to be counted, with the next announcement coming at 5 p.m. Friday.
Some facts:

• Ocean Shores ballots mailed out: 3,248
• Ocean Shores ballots counted on Monday: 1,416
• Potential number of O.S. ballots to be counted: 1,832
• Ballots turned in to Convention Center: 300-plus

The vote, thus far:
Approve 756 (49.87%)
Reject 760 (50.13%)

Results on today’s vote, which includes the Ocean Shores Library lid lift/levy, and primaries for County Commissioner No. 3 (top two vote getters move on to the November election) and various other positions, is to be posted here after 8 p.m. today. Ballots must be postmarked today to be counted, or dropped at collection centers, including the Ocean Shores Convention Center.

According to the county elections site, the three North Beach School District levy proposals all were passing, in the 53-56% range.

According to the county, 3,307 ballots were mailed to Ocean Shores registered voters. Of those, 313 came back to the county, as “undeliverable.”

To date, the county has received 2,211 completed ballots, from Ocean Shores. The represents 67 percent of the total registered voters; when you subtract the undeliverable, 74 percent of Ocean Shores citizens who received their ballots voted. Lid lift/EMS levy: “reject,” 1,503 (68.95%); “approve,” 677  (31.06%) “approve”; 2,180 total.

City Council: Position 5, Jackie Farra, 1,145 (57.97%), Nick Johnson 830 (42.03%) votes; 1,975 total votes. Position 1, John Lynn (unopposed): 1,424 votes. Position 7, Garland French (unopposed): 1,409 votes.

On the county’s most recent count, Jackie Farra, with nearly 58 percent of the votes, holds a 315 vote lead over incumbent Nick Johnson in the only City Council “race” (Garland French and John Lynn were uncontested). The rejection of the “Lid lift” levy for EMS shrunk slightly, but “rejected” is still at more than two-thirds. Nearly 70 percent of Ocean Shores’ 3,300 registered voters returned their ballots. The county will do another ballot count next Friday.

With about half of the total number of ballots mailed to Ocean Shores voters tabulated, the “Reject” votes are 542 ahead of the “Approved” vote, on “Proposition 1, Levy to Support Emergency Medical Services.” Supporters of the lid lift will have to hope for a seismic swing of pro-Prop 1 late voters.

In the only contested city council position, incumbent Nick Johnson, trailing newcomer Jackie Farra by 246 votes, is in a similar position, though his late rally would not have to be nearly as extreme.

Early results posted by the County election site:

That is just under 10 percent of Ocean Shores’ 3,307 registered voters . . . although some of those dropping off ballots here could be North Beach residents. In any case, this big chunk of last-day voters (not even including those who mailed ballots at the Post Office today) could mean that one or both of the contested elections (lid lift and Johnson vs. Farra) may be “too close to call” when the County puts up numbers tonight. Stay tuned . . .