Election 2018: Stearns County Has Very High Voter Turnout

ST. CLOUD -- Stearns County election officials say the close race for District 1 County Commissioner does not meet the threshold of an automatic recount. Tarryl Clark defeated Steve Gottwalt by 85 votes. Elections Director Dave Walz says that falls about 30 votes shy of triggering an automatic recount. Gottwalt could ask for a recount, but he would have to pay for it.

Walz says the only race they are still sorting through in Stearns County is a city council election in Rockville, because of a high number of write-in votes.

He says they'll canvass the votes on Friday, which will finalize the local races.

Walz says there were 13,000 absentee ballots cast in Stearns County this year.

Voter turnout in Stearns County was 75 percent, compared to 64 percent statewide.