Warrenton Ward 2 Alderman Beth Kendall can breathe a sigh of relief. Following a recount last Wednesday of votes cast in the race for her seat, Kendall was declared the winner as she successfully completed her bid for a third term. The recount upheld the unofficial results in the April 5 municipal election when Kendall received 64 votes to Jerry VanDillen’s 63. The tight race was a factor in Warren County Clerk Barb Daly’s decision to conduct a recount, but Daly also noted that the Ward 2 precinct was the only one in the county with multiple races. During each election, as part of certifying the election results, Daly pointed out that at least one precinct is chosen to have ballots reviewed and recounted. The recount consisted of having votes counted manually. Daly said she and two election judges — one Democrat and one Republican — tallied the votes. “We did it because the race was so close,” Daly said. “It makes me feel very good that everything came out the same.” Had Daly not chosen to conduct a recount of the race, it would have been up to VanDillen to challenge the unofficial results. According to state law, a candidate who loses by less than 1 percent of the total votes cast can request a recount. VanDillen also was on the losing side of a two-person race for a seat on the Warren County Ambulance District Board of Directors. He received 125 votes as incumbent Carla Turner won her re-election bid with 172 votes. Turnout for the April 5 election was one of the lowest in recent years. Countywide, only 6 percent (1,282 of 20,268 registered voters) went to the polls.