The tribal election services staff said the cost of the recount was $750 per district, which was $750 for District 3, where Bush was running for Council Seat 1, and $750 for absentee votes.
Bush of Marble City collected 615 votes in the Cherokee Election June 23, while the incumbent, David Thornton of Vian, had 624 votes.
Wanda Beaver, Cherokee Elections Commission office manager, said the recount would take place Friday. The election commission was required, by tribal law, to certify the election results by 5 p.m. Friday, but Beaver said the recount make take longer than that.
Cherokee voters cast their ballots on the same type of computer voting machines as are used in all Oklahoma elections, in which the machines count the ballots. But Beaver said the election commission members counted the ballots by hand Friday. Traditionally, recounts of the computer-tabulated ballots have not changed the vote total.
Patsy Eads Morton of Stilwell is the chairman of the election commission and was present for the recount, Beaver said. Also expected to be present were the members of the Cherokee Nation Supreme Court who had to make sure the ballots were secure and preserved after the election.
