EDITORIAL/Here we go again!

We're going to have another election challenge in District 4, but this one could have legs because it's looking like some voters in split precincts were given the wrong ballot.

Jim Harreld, the Republican District 4 supervisor candidate, last week examined ballots to determine whether he would challenge the Nov. 5 general election.

He served notice to Democrat Karl Banks two weeks ago alerting him to an examination of the ballot boxes, election materials and anything else related to that specific supervisor race.

Banks won the race by 57 votes, according to the certified results.

Banks was the longtime supervisor representing District 4 before he lost by two votes in 2015 to Republican challenger David Bishop.

Banks challenged the 2015 race in what ended up being a multi-year contest that was ultimately dismissed.

Elections are best decided by the people, not judges, but major irregularities can't be ignored.



The turnout was high, but that doesn't necessarily mean there was fraud.

Harreld, who defeated Bishop in the GOP primary, is apparently going foward. "If there's something wrong, it will generate a challenge," he said.

According to certified results, Banks received 3,524 votes to Harreld's 3,467 votes. Banks received 128 absentee votes and 15 affidavit votes in his favor. Harreld received 160 absentee votes and nine affidavit votes.

Are the numbers there to sway the election? A full examination is in order.