Initial tallies from a Nov. 5 bond election in the Midland (Texas) school district showed that voters had rejected the $569 million proposal, but a recount completed over the weekend turned the tables and showed the bond issue had passed—by 11 votes.
The Midland Reporter-Telegram reports that recount shows that 11,411 votes were in favor, and 11,400 were opposed. Officials say the 22,811 votes tallied in the recount were 820 fewer than the 23,631 votes that had been counted electronically on Election Day.
Only two of the 44 precincts that could vote on the measure had the same results on Election Day and in the recount.
The referendum results have been mired in confusion after several technical difficulties created uncertainty about the bond results. Initially, the district, campaign committees and the community believed the bond had won by 12 votes, but it was losing by more than 30.
It was determined on Nov. 12, when final tabulations took place, that mail-in ballots had not been included in the unofficial cumulative results published on Election Day. The Nov. 12 tabulations showed the bond lost by 25 votes.
The recount began on Friday and lasted 20 hours, until 4 a.m. Saturday. Nine three-person counting teams took part.. Each team had one representative from We Choose Our Future — the committee in favor of the bond — one representative from Better Bond for Midland — the committee opposing the bond — and one neutral representative chosen by Ruth Sloan, chairman of the recount committee.
“The journey to reach this conclusion was longer than any of us anticipated,” recount supervisor Rick Davis said. “I wish to thank the dedicated individuals who volunteered their time to conduct the recount, Midland County for use of their facilities and the community for their faith in the process. I am keenly aware of the trust the voters have placed in MISD and look forward to working with the Community Oversight Committee to deliver the projects in this bond on time and under budget.”
The bond funds will enable the Midland district to build three high schools—two replacement and one new. An existing high school campus will be repurposed as a junior high, and an existing junior high will be repurposed as a young women's leadership academy.
Video. Midland School Bond Overview:
