Bertling wins GOP commission seat race

BONNERS FERRY — The winner between the five Republican candidates for the County Commissioner District 2 seat is Tim Bertling with 842 votes. Phillip Sweet had 559 votes, Will Hedrick 464, Tim Tucker with 319, and Aaron Surprenant with 181 votes.

The non-partisan, city of Bonners Ferry Dam Referendum result is 506 yes votes to 52 no votes. The referendum passed.

Republican Sheriff Dave Kramer received 2219 votes, with 253 votes going to Democrat Larry “Doc” Vandenberg.

The May 19 primary election was extended to June 2 for votes to be counted. Those who dropped off their ballots at the locked box outside the courthouse were safe in that they would be counted up until June 2.

Ballots that were mailed in by way of United States Postal Services should have been mailed prior to June 2, so that this mail could be ensured to have reached the county clerk’s office for counting.

The historic Idaho mail in, absentee ballot, election is the first of its kind for Boundary County.

“We have surpassed our highest number of voters at any given primary,” said Glenda Poston, Boundary County Clerk.

Poston said that her office began processing the ballots within two to three days of receiving a request for a mail in ballot.

Out of a total of 6,651 Boundary County registered voters, 3,043 votes were counted for this June 2 primary election. The percentage of voter turnout, prior to the same day voter registration, is 45.8%.