CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A recount of votes in the 38th District House of Delegates race for the GOP nomination will be conducted this week, according to the Kanawha County Clerk’s Office.
Cindy Farley, who lost to Delegate Dianna Graves by 84 votes in last week’s Primary Election, filed for a recount in Kanawha County Monday.
“It will probably be hand counted. There’s nine precincts that is in question here in Kanawha County,” said Clerk Vera McCormick.
The 38th district includes both Kanawha and Putnam counties.
Putnam County Clerk Brian Wood told MetroNews, as of Tuesday afternoon, Farley had not filed for a recount in Putnam County.
In a statement released by the Kanawha County Commission, President Kent Carper said every candidate has the right to object to the results of an election and that he is confident the clerk will respond to the issue.
In Kanawha, Farley received 237 votes compared to Graves’ 757 votes. Farley had more votes in Putnam with 587 votes, while Graves had 151 votes.
“I think the people was probably voting their county,” McCormick said.
Recounts don’t happen often, McCormick said. She’s unsure if the new touch screen voting machines had anything to do with it.
“I don’t know if it’s because we had a new system, equipment or what this year, but we’re willing to do it,” she said.
The Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office will be notifying Graves a few days from now about the recount request. McCormick said the recount probably won’t be complete until sometime next week.