Second place is more secure for Republican Butler County commissioner candidate Bill McCarrier.

The primary vote tally on Tuesday night showed McCarrier with a narrow, 46-vote win for the second seat.

But when the county’s 292 Republican absentee votes were counted Wednesday, McCarrier’s lead increased to 75 votes.

“That’s a little less than one vote for each precinct in this county,” said Jeff Smith of Butler, who finished third on the ticket with 5,399 votes. “It demonstrates that every vote does count.”

The top two vote-getters advance to compete in the November general election.

Republican incumbent Dale Pinkerton, 71, of Butler locked the top slot with 5,926 votes, more than 20 percent of the vote.

McCarrier, 71, of Butler Township finished with 5,474 votes.

They will compete against the two top Democrat vote-getters: Jim Eckstein and Jerry Johnston.

Eckstein, 54, finished first with 4,742 votes. Johnston, 61, received 4,641 votes.

Democratic incumbent James Lokhaiser, 75, of Center Township lost his bid for re-election, having just 3,850 votes.