Mayoral recounts do come at a cost

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) - The state statute says that candidates who fall within 2 percent of the final vote may file a request for a recount within five days after the official canvas.

There was a 1.7 percent difference between the two candidates, with Laura Armstrong finishing 269 votes behind Mayor-elect Jason Salamun.

As of right now, both Armstrong and Salamun have submitted a candidate to be a part of the recount board, but no official announcements have been made for the third person on that board from the city finance director.

Whenever there is a recount there is a cost.

“We estimate that it could be up to eight hours to complete the recount. Hopefully, it is not that long, but if it is does that long, then they have eight staff members, if all of them dedicate all their time to it then it could be as much as about $2,500 if you include the total cost of employment,” said Daniel Ainslie, finance officer, city of Rapid City.

There is no set date or time for the recount which has to be done within 10 days of the request.

We do have a statement from Jason Salamun that states “Elections should be fair and accurate. I’m confident the recount will uphold the victory we earned on June 6. I look forward to turning our attention to building a brighter for the people of Rapid City.”

Laura Armstrong also commented and said “I look forward to the outcome of the recount.”

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