Published: November 11, 2008 11:40 am      

Narvaiz keeps majority

Provisional ballot check leaves mayoral election results intact

Susan Narvaiz maintained a majority vote in her bid for a third term as mayor of San Marcos following a review of provisional and overseas ballots Monday by the Early Voting Ballot Board.

The election will become official following the canvassing of election returns by the city council on Monday at 5 p.m.

Out of 201 provisional ballots cast in Hays County, 14 qualified to be counted and five of the 14 were city of San Marcos ballots. In addition, 16 ballots were cast by residents who were out of the country, including four that were counted in the city election.

The San Marcos City Charter requires a majority vote (50 percent plus one vote) to elect a member of the city council.

Following the review Monday, the city council races in the Nov. 4 election stood at:

Mayor

• Susan Clifford Narvaiz – 6,451 (50.08 percent)

• Dave Newman – 3,868 (30.03 percent)

• Daniel Dan McCarthy – 2,563 (19.9 percent)

City Council Place 3

• Fred Terry – 8,822 (100 percent)

City Council Place 4

• Christopher Jones – 6,168 (55.60 percent)

• Lisa Marie Coppoletta – 4,925 (44.40 percent)

Of the votes counted Monday, Narvaiz picked up two additional votes, McCarthy gained one vote and Newman gained one vote.

Provisional ballots are used when there is some question about a voter’s eligibility. Provisional ballots may be used when the person’s name is not on the voter list, the voter is at the wrong polling place, the voter’s eligibility is challenged under state law, or the voter cannot provide identification required by federal or state law.

The provisional and overseas ballots were reviewed by the Early Voting Ballot Board under the coordination of Hays County Elections Administrator Joyce Cowan.

“I am humbled and extremely honored to have been elected to serve the people of San Marcos for a third term in its highest elected office,” Narvaiz said. “I extend my thanks to all those that placed your continued confidence in the work that we have done together. As the mayor for all San Marcans, I will seek to earn the confidence of those that chose someone else at the ballot box.”

Narvaiz is only the third San Marcos mayor to be elected by popular vote to serve three terms. Mayors Kathy Morris and Emmie Craddock were each elected to three terms by popular vote.