PORT ANGELES — John Calhoun increased his lead from 17 to 26 votes in the neck-and-neck race for Port of Port Angeles commissioner after a fifth round of ballot counting on Tuesday.
Calhoun, president of the three-member port commission, now lead challenger Brad Collins with 50.07 percent of that 18,554 ballots cast.
The Clallam County Auditor’s Office counted 47 ballots on Wednesday.
Now separated by 0.14 percent, the Calhoun-Collins race is headed to an automatic recount.
A race that is separated by a quarter-percent or less goes to an automatic hand tally. Any race that is separated by less than one half of one percent goes to a machine recount.
Patty Rosand, Clallam County auditor, said the Clallam County Canvassing Board will meet on Monday to review all rejected ballots, and again on Tuesday to certify the election and schedule the recount.
The three-member canvassing board will gather in an open public meeting at 9 a.m. in the elections center at the Clallam County Courthouse at 9 a.m. on Monday and at 11 a.m. on Tuesday.
There will be no more tallying until a final count next Tuesday.
In the close election for Port Angeles City Council Position 2, Max Mania extended his lead on Edna Petersen from 30 to 38 votes.
Mania’s head-to-head lead is now 2,732 to 2,694 — or 50.35 percent — of 5,426 ballots cast.
The difference between the two candidates is 0.7 percent.
There are still 90 unsigned or improperly signed ballots remaining in the county, 13 of which are from Port Angeles, Rosand said.
If Petersen collects all 13 of those votes, Mania’s margin would shrink to 50.23 percent, and an automatic machine recount would be required.
Petersen has said she won’t pay for a recount and will accept the results when all the ballots are counted.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.