Mercer County election officials say 27 fewer ballots will figure into the final count of last week's election.

The Board of Elections has voided 27 of the 1,586 absentee ballots cast.

Fourteen of the absentee ballots were voided because those people voted in person. Eleven of the ballots were not placed in a secrecy envelope. One ballot was not signed.

In addition, one absentee ballot was thrown out because the voter died before election day.

The absentee numbers increased the overall unofficial turnout to 58.2 percent or 41,598 of the county’s 71,477 eligible voters.

Numbers can still change slightly with provisional ballots, as well as military and overseas civilian ballots that can be received in the election office until 5 p.m. Tuesday.

The county will address the 14 provisional ballots that were cast at the polls this next week. Any that are approved will be added to the county’s totals.

Immediately after those are completed, the county will begin the process of accumulating and tallying 79 potential write-in votes for the Government Study Commissioner’s race in Wheatland.

Those results should be released and posted on the county’s Web site no later than Friday, Nov. 16.

The top three candidates with at least four votes will be declared winners, joining four candidates on the 7-member commission who were on the ballot.

Should there be a tie in the Wheatland race for the seventh position, a casting of lots will be held at 9 a.m. Dec. 4 in the assembly room. Candidates will be notified in writing if they are in this situation.