As of mid-afternoon, about 200 ballots in three precincts remain to be inspected for the first time in the Rock Island mayoral recount, as well as a review of some ballots that had been looked at during the discovery.

Challenger David Levin and his attorney, Tom Benson, said by their calculations, the totals have not changed since Thursday, when it looked as if he was ahead of Mayor Dennis Pauley by one vote.

Benson said they hope to complete the recount today.

PREVIOUS STORY:The recount in the Rock Island mayoral race resumed this morning.

Prior to the start of the recount, Rock Island County Clerk Dick Leibovitz made a brief statement saying that Touchscreen ballots used in the mayoral election also were not initialed by an election judge.

Uninitialed ballots have been an issue in the recount of the race between Dennis Pauley and David Levin. Pauley, who was sworn in as mayor in May, won by a count of 3,066 to 3,053. Levin sought the recount through a lawsuit filed in Rock Island County Circuit Court last month.

Leibovitz said today there were 582 Touchscreen ballots cast.

"If a voter is going to vote by Touchscreen, the judge would program a card with the proper ballot style and the voter would be directed to the Touchscreen and vote their ballot," Leibovitz said. "The touchscreen also keeps a running total."

Tom Benson, David Levin's attorney, also made a statement this morning, noting that when a Touchscreen ballot is provided by the clerk's staff, it comes with an electronic signature from an election judge.

Leibovitz announced Wednesday he was stopping the court-ordered recount midway through because he was upset with how the attorneys involved in the case were using state law to throw out ballots that were not initialed by an election judge.

"I believe that voting is a privilege and a civic responsibility," Leibovitz said this morning, "and when someone takes time to leave early for work or delay his or her return home after work, to wait in line, to fill out a ballot only to later be disenfranchised based on a technicality that adds no additional security or integrity to the election process, something is gravely wrong."