KINGMAN COUNTY — A canvass on Monday finalized the results of the March 21 special mail election for a three-quarter cent countywide sales tax to help support Kingman Community Hospital, according to a media release.
The final totals did not change from the preliminary results: 1,689 votes in favor and 613 votes opposed. County Clerk and Election Officer Carol Noblit shared some other data about the election with Kingman County Commissioners, who doubled as the Board of County Canvassers.
Noblit said a total of 5,203 ballots were mailed, with 919 returned by the postal service as undeliverable. A total of 2,302 ballots were counted, for a voter turnout of 44 percent. Most of the ballots – 2,137 – came back by mail. Another 93 ballots were hand-delivered to the Clerk’s office.
Each voter had to sign the envelope containing the ballot. Initially, 174 ballots were received without the requisite signature. The Clerk’s office sent letters to those voters asking them to come in and sign the envelope. Seventy-two voters responded. That left 102 ballots uncounted for lack of a voter signature.
Kansas statute requires that the entity requesting a special election must pay for the cost of that election. The cost of the sales tax election was $14,343.90. Noblit said the county will send the hospital an invoice for that amount.
The sales tax will take effect on July 1 and continue for 20 years.