RECOUNT! Camdenton School Board Race Gets Dramatic After 1-Vote Margin

CAMDENTON, Mo. — After losing a school board seat by just one vote, Debra Wright has officially filed a petition for a recount.

She says the process was anything but simple.

“It was kind of an ordeal,” Wright said Thursday. “It’s not as straightforward as you’d think it would be.”

Wright filed her petition with the Camden County Circuit Court Thursday following the April 8 election, where she finished one vote behind incumbent Eric Walters. She says the process was weighed down by legal confusion, lack of guidance, and pushback from the county clerk’s office.

Despite that, she says she’s at peace with whatever the outcome may be — but felt a recount was too important to ignore.

“I really don’t have any choice but to proceed,” Wright said. “It’s not even about the number of votes anymore. It’s about making sure our elections have integrity.”

She said she asked for direction on how to submit the petition properly, but got limited help from county offices. The first version of her filing was rejected due to format issues, but no template was provided because county personnel said that could be considered giving legal advice. So, Wright said she ultimately relied on a friend with legal connections to get the petition done correctly.

According to Wright, the next step is waiting for a judge to notify her of a court date by mail. From there, it will be up to the judge to decide how the recount is conducted. Possible options include a hand recount of one precinct followed by a machine verification, or a full hand recount overseen by appointees.

Wright, a former public school teacher with 31 years in the classroom, said she ran for the board to bring that perspective into decision-making.

“I think there needs to be one or two educators on the school board who can say, ‘Yes, I was in the classroom. I know how this works,’” she said.

Regardless of what the recount reveals, Wright says she's ready to move forward — whether it’s to a school board seat or a vacation she and her husband will take instead.

“I really am at a peaceful place with it,” she said. “But I can see why this doesn’t happen more often. The process is not built for the average person to take on.”

Wright said she wasn't surprised to learn the last recount was more than 20 years ago; no word on how long that one took. For now, she and Walters and the Camdenton school district will just have to wait.