A count of cured ballots will determine the winner in the Republican primary for state representative in District 58, according to the Montezuma County Clerk and Recorder’s Office.

As of the latest vote count on Friday, J. Mark Roeber of Delta County led Larry Don Suckla by 32 votes – 6,439 to 6,407, or 50.12% to 49.88% – according to the Colorado Secretary of State.

In District 58, nearly 100 ballots are curing, according to Danielle Wells of the Montezuma County Clerk and Recorder’s Office. About 25 had been turned in by Tuesday, and 69 can still be turned in Wednesday.

A mandatory recount happens when the vote is separated by a margin of 0.5%.

The curing process begins when a ballot is rejected because of a discrepancy with the signature on the ballot. Voters can cure a rejected ballot if the ballot signature doesn’t appear to match the one on file, if they didn’t sign the ballot envelope or if they didn’t include a copy of an acceptable form of identification.

County clerks notify these voters within two days of the vote, and voters can cure their vote through Wednesday, July 3.

District 58 encompasses eight counties – Montezuma, Dolores, San Miguel, Ouray, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Montrose and Delta.

Suckla served as county commissioner for Montezuma County from 2012 to 2020. Roeber is a former Delta County commissioner.

Suckla told The Journal that he hopes this close race reminds people the importance of voting, even if they don’t believe their vote will make a difference.

“I hear people say that their one vote doesn’t make a difference, but it does,” Suckla said.