A Middleton School Board election do-over

A razor-thin Middleton School Board election is headed for a rematch.

The reason: The Canyon County clerk’s office gave the wrong ballots to some voters in two precincts. As a result, voters were incorrectly assigned to the Middleton School District’s Zone 2.

The Zone 2 election ended in a tie, with incumbent Steve Cluff and Marc Gunning each collecting 101 votes. A third candidate, Brian Fendley, trailed with 18 votes.

But Tuesday’s results may be strictly academic, since 23 voters shouldn’t have voted in the first place.

That error rate is high enough that the election will have to be held again, the Idaho Press-Tribune reported Thursday. The Canyon County clerk’s office is waiting on direction from the secretary of state’s office, which oversees elections statewide.

Kevin Richert

Kevin Richert

Senior reporter and blogger Kevin Richert specializes in education politics and education policy. He has more than 30 years of experience in Idaho journalism. He is a frequent guest on "Idaho Reports" on Idaho Public Television and "Idaho Matters" on Boise State Public Radio. Follow Kevin on Twitter: @KevinRichert. He can be reached at [email protected]

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