Zimmer elected to Bakersfield school board after Tuesday vote is certified by Ozark County Clerk

The Bakersfield school board election has been certified by Ozark County Clerk Brian Wise, and the vote totals now stand at 104 for Christopher Bales, 101 for Mike Zimmer and 100 for Michael Scott. The certified totals eliminate the 100-vote tie that existed between Zimmer and Scott on election night, which means Bales and Zimmer are the newly elected board members.

In a message to Bakersfield superintendent Amy Britt that was shared with the Times, Wise explained the change in the vote count from the unofficial election night total to Friday's certified total:

"The change in the School Board election came from a Provisional Ballot that was voted at the Dawt Precinct. This was the first Election in Ozark County where a photo I.D. was required.  By statute, there are 3 scenarios for people to vote (as far as having I.D. goes): 

"Option 1: The Voter shows a photo I.D. from a state or federal source 

"Option 2: The Voter shows a Voter I.D. Card, Utility Bill, Bank Statement, Student I.D., etc. and signs a statement.

"Option 3: The Voter shows nothing and votes a provision ballot.

​"(All options require the voter to be a registered voter in the precinct they are voting.)

"When a voter uses option 3, the ballot is put into a separate envelope that requires one of the following to happen for that ballot to be counted:

"1.  The voter returns to the polls during the election (between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. with one of the legal forms of I.D.

"2.  The Election Authority verifies the voters identity by comparing the signature on the envelope to the signature on their voter registration.

'If one of these two options is carried out, and the voter is found [to] be properly registered in the polling place which they voted, then the ballot will be counted."

Ozark County Times

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