Lead change in Richland School Board race, recount appears certain

The race between Jill Oldson and Brett Amidan for a seat on the Richland School Board is almost certainly headed for a recount but it’s Amidan who is on top in the final tally.

Amidan leads Oldson by three votes according to the final ballot count posted by the Benton County Audtior’s Office Monday afternoon. He has 6,163 votes, or 50.01 percent to Oldson’s 6,160 votes or 49.99 percent. That’s a seven vote swing from Friday, when Oldson, who has held the lead for much of the election, was on top by four votes.

A recount won’t be officially called for until the Canvassing Board certifies the election Nov. 24. But state law requires a mandatory manual recount in contests where there is less than a quarter of 1 percent and less than 150 votes separating two candidates.

This story was originally published November 23, 2015 at 5:02 PM with the headline "Lead change in Richland School Board race, recount appears certain."