Ballot count tops 10,000:

Ballot count for the Nov. 5 election reached 10,001 as of 5:13 p.m. Tuesday night with the auditor's election staff estimating 450 more ballots remain to be counted. The tally amounts to slightly more than 40 percent of the registered voters for the county.

Pullman Hospital District's request for a $29 million bond issue levy remained just below the required 60 percent approval rate, 59.66 percent with 2,507 in favor and 1,695 opposed. The proposal was under 60 percent on election night, but topped the mark on the second count before it dropped under the mark again.

The latest count shows a slight gain from 59.49 percent from the previous count.

The district in the previous count lacked the turnout requirement which was its downfall in the April election. Voters who cast ballots in April favored the measure by 63.7 percent.

The county's request for a levy lift for the road maintenance failed to gain much ground with the successive counts and now stands at 53.64 percent approval with 1,291 yes to 1,116 no. The request seeks to bump the levy from $1.4525 per $1,000 of assessed value to $2.25.

Voting on the measure was limited to county voters residing outside of incorporated areas.

Rosalia closes in on getting approval for their request for a $4.62 levy per $1,000 to generate $95,000 for the towns street fund. The measure logged at 62.57 yes return with 107 yes votes and 64 no votes.

Lamont School District's request for a catchup special levy of another $1 per $1,000 received a no from the voters with 20 in favor and 23 opposed.

Lamont early this year stuck with the state limit of $1.50 per $1,000 on local levies, but the legislature, faced with local school funding shortages around the state, later bumped the local limit to $2.50.

In the county's closest town council race, for seat four at Uniontown, Jonathon Musson picked up seven votes to move ahead of Jack Espy, 55-51.

Counts for the Pullman council seats tightened up, but the incumbents still hold leads. Ann Parks leads Chris Johnson 1,342 to 1,227, and Eileen Macoll leads Francis Benjamin 1,930 to 1,806.

Incumbents in the Colfax council races held leads with Jim Kackman over Domonic Villareal 619-163, Mark Mackleit over Andrew Stewart 604-185, and Thomas Huntwork over Jeremiah Roberts 411-368 in the closest race.

In the race for the council's open seat, Ben Miller leads Sarina Roberts 418 to 338.

The next ballot count is scheduled for Nov. 18.