The Pima County Board of Supervisors on Thursday formally approved the results of the general election.
The board also approved having the Pima County Elections Department take the necessary steps for a recount in the race between Sheriff Chris Nanos and Republican challenger Heather Lappin.
There were 487,225 votes counted in the race to be Pima Countyâs top cop. Incumbent Democrat Nanos beat Lappin by 495 votes â a margin of 0.2%.
State law requires a recount when the margin of victory in a race is 0.5% or less.
A recount in the race between Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos and his challenger Heather Lappin could take up to two weeks, county officials say.
The recount could take up to 14 days because of this yearâs long ballot, which covered two full pages, Constance Hargrove, the countyâs elections director, told the Star.
âWhen we program the equipment for the recount, it will exclude every other office and only count the sheriffâs race,â she said. âBut because ballots are not segregated that way, we have to run them all through the tabulation equipment again.â
The recount wonât start immediately, Hargrove said.
The County Attorneyâs Office will first petition Superior Court to approve the recount, followed by a judge issuing an order that will include a deadline for it to be completed.
Still, she said, the recount could start as early as Friday.
Lappin, a jail commander, had been gaining on Nanos since he started election night with a lead of over 25,000 votes when unofficial results were first released about an hour after the polls closed. By the Sunday after the election, his lead dropped to 6,456 votes.
About a week into counting, Nanosâ lead over Lappin dipped below 200 votes before ending in his victory by fewer than 500 votes.
Supervisor Matt Heinz was absent from Thursdayâs meeting.
