County Commissioners Chairman Franklin McCasland and District 1 Commissioner Robert Lopez hand tally a provisional ballot from the 2008 General election.

Canvassing in Quay County for the 2008 general election was completed and confirmed by the Quay County Commissioners on Friday.

The totals from early, absentee and Election Day voting were double checked by the commissioners and Quay County Clerk Ellen White.

Five provisional ballots were hand tallied by the commissioners and added to the County’s totals.

With the commissions approval, the totals will be submitted to the New Mexico secretary of state, White said.

White said the county is fortunate to be able to start and finish their canvassing in the same day.

“The canvassing can take weeks for the counties with larger metropolitan areas,” White said.

White said that even though the totals are going to be submitted, the election process is not over for Quay County.

“There is a pending statewide recount of voting machines for accuracy,” White said. “Only 2 percent of the entire state’s voting machines will have to have a recount. It is the luck of the draw — we could have one or none of our machines selected for the recount.”

Commission Chairman Franklin McCasland said he was pleased with the staff’s performance during the election and impressed with the voter turnout for Quay County.

Approximately 66 percent of Quay County voted, that is much higher then the 19 percent recorded for the 2008 primary and the 47 percent recorded for the 2004 general election, White said.

Other items before the commission included:

l Gray Wolf update presented by Tom Dominquez, Quay county Agriculture Agent.

l Approval and proclamation of Nov. 20 as the Great American Smoke Out for Quay County.