East Idaho sheriff helps track down missing ballots

SODA SPRINGS, Idaho (AP) – Officials in eastern Idaho say miscues on Election Day in Caribou County occurred because of a lack of experienced workers.

The Idaho State Journal reports that retiring County Clerk Veda Mascarenas had to hire new workers because many of the experienced deputy clerks were running for office, including her job.

As candidates, they couldn’t participate in counting votes.

Caribou County Sheriff Ric Anderson became involved when only eight of 10 precincts had been counted. It turned out ballots were already locked in the courthouse.

Workers also double-checked the vote count on a bond issue for a new school that needed 290 yes votes. After several counts, officials confirmed that’s exactly how many yes votes it received.

Deputy Clerk Denise Horsley triumphed in the race to replace Mascarenas.

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