Marshall County’s Community Memorial Healthcare (CMH) proposed half-cent sales tax extension narrowly passed after a hand recount of the November 5th election ballots this week. The recount confirmed the final tally as 2,380 votes in favor and 2,366 against. A six-member bipartisan counting board reviewed ballots over two days, with discrepancies stemming from marks made in red ink, green ink, pencil, or with check marks that machines initially failed to read.

The recount was initiated by Nicole Woodard, who paid $2,000 for the process. Official results differed from election night totals due to the inclusion of provisional and late-arriving mail-in ballots.

This special question, the sole item on the ballot, extended CMH’s sales tax for five more years, reflecting the community’s divided yet critical support for rural healthcare funding.