Slow Election Returns Stress Candidates

— It was impossible to determine the winners of two City Council races Tuesday night as only partial early votes were available by 11 p.m.

The electronically cast early votes were counted, but paper ballots cast during early voting hadn’t been tallied. Votes cast Tuesday were yet to be counted.

In the three-man race for the Ward 3, Position 2 seat, Keith Jackson had the early lead with 4,009 votes. Attorney Andrew Hatfield was trailing with 3,696 votes and attorney Mauricio Herrera was third with 2,432 votes.

Jackson, a retired police officer, and Herrera were first-time candidates for office. Hatfield ran unsuccessfully for the Rogers School Board last year.

Betsy Reithemeyer was the incumbent, but boundary changes resulted in her living in Ward 4. She ran unopposed for the Ward 4, Position 2 seat on council.

Incumbent Bob Goodwin, who has served on the council for 27 years, was leading in early voting for the Ward 4, Position 1 seat. Goodwin had 3,690 votes in the four-person race.

Carlos Chicas was in second place with 2,596 votes. Rachel Cox trailed Chicas with 2,400 votes and Carrie Smith had 1,657 votes.

The slow reporting of election results stressed some candidates

“It’s frustrating that the result aren’t coming out faster. It is what it is, but I wish we had more numbers,” Chicas said shortly before 10 p.m.

Jackson said he was frustrated, but “I’m really excited too. This is my first time to run for office. I’ll stay up as late as I can to watch the results, but we may not know until morning.”

This was the first time in Rogers’ history Latinos were on the ballot. Rogers’ population is 31 percent Hispanic, according to the 2010 census.

Runoffs may be required in both races. A runoff between the top two vote-getters — in a race of three or more candidates — occurs when no one candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote.

The runoff election, if needed, is scheduled for Nov. 27.

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