(KAIR)--1,056 voters cast ballots in the City of Atchison’s special election that ended in the defeat of a proposed sales tax to fund transportation infrastructure and property tax relief.

The Atchison County Commission Tuesday, meeting as the Atchison County Canvassing Board, canvassed the ballots from the July 14 special election, with Atchison County Clerk Michelle Phillips presenting the documents to the board members. “We had eight precincts open at four polling sites, plus an additional office, the County Clerks’ Office, for early voting,” Phillips explained, adding that 16 board members and four staff members were utilized. “We had 106 advance ballots...59 of those were returned,” Phillips said, adding that 337 voted early in her office.

40 of the ballots cast were considered provisional, or problematic.

During her presentation, prior to the canvass, Phillips explained the voter-registration controversy that came due to the timing of the City of Atchison’s special election.

That happened when Atchison residents learned their cutoff to register for the August 2nd Primary was shortened from the state’s July 12 deadline to late June due to the timing. Once that was known, a group of nine residents appeared before the City Commission, with the Commissioner’s asked to cancel the special election. The City took no action on the request, but Atchison County and the State of Kansas, including ACLU of Kansas intervention, made an exception to the state statute regarding voter registration cutoffs, restoring the July 12 registration deadline for Atchison voters, while allowing the special election to proceed.

The so-called “Save Our Streets Special Ballot Question” was soundly defeated by voters during the special election.