MORROW COUNTY — The $204.4 million bond measure in Morrow County is passing by five votes.

The measure was on the May 20 special election ballot and as of the morning of May 29 is passing 1,241-1,236. Morrow County Clerk Bobbi Childers said there’s still time for the results to change.

Bond measure 25-104 would fund Morrow County School District’s capital improvement projects, including rebuilding Irrigion Jr./Sr. High School as well as improving security measures and other building projects at schools across the district.

Childers said 27 ballots that have problems — called challenges — and can’t be counted. Some of those issues cannot be cured — fixed — for this election, but others simply require a signature verification or similar small fix, which they have 12 more days to amend.

Starting June 11, Childers will go through the cured ballots to determine the final distribution. If the measure receives the majority of votes, it will pass. If it does not, including if there is a tie, the measure will not pass.

There’s a chance the margin will be narrow enough to automatically require a hand recount. Oregon law requires a recount if the difference in the number of votes cast for or against any measure is not more than one-fifth of 1% of the total votes cast for and against the measure.

If there is a recount, Childers said she will first certify the initial results before she and her team go through the nearly 2,900 ballots  to verify the number. If the hand recount changes the result, she would then recertify the election result.

Morrow County School District said in a press release it would wait to announce the results until after the county certifies the election because the margin is so narrow. If the measure passes, the district will receive $6 million from a state grant to help fund the capital improvement projects.