WC Wisconsin News

For a second time in less than two weeks, Nathan Otto has been designated the winner of the Eau Claire County Board of Supervisors District 11 seat.

After initially being declared the winner by just nine votes on April 5, a recent recount has Otto again coming out on top, this time by an even larger margin over opponent Tara Balts, who filed for the recount and finished with at least one less vote after the recount.

The recount process works with a board of canvassers being convened, consisting of one Democrat, one Republican and the Eau Claire County Clerk Sue McDonald. Tabulators are then appointed and sworn in from the county and city office, with candidates allowed to study each ballot and challenge anything they deem suitable, while observers from the public are allowed to watch the whole process and ask basic questions

"They're just here to observe," McDonald told WQOW.com. "They can't touch anything. They can't have pens or pencils in their possession. Just making sure the integrity of all the materials stays, that no one is tampering with anything, but they are allowed to watch the process. We encourage them to watch it so that they're reassured that this process works and that it's accurate."

WQOW reports if the difference in a given race is 40 votes or fewer for a race of 4,000 voters or fewer, candidates are allowed to request a recount free of charge. In cases where the voting dispute falls between 11 and 40 votes, they have to pay for it.