For Immediate Release
November 19, 2002
Contact: Dan A. Gwadosky
207-626-8400

Update on Senate District 16 Recount

AUGUSTA--The recount resulting from the November General Election continued today for Senate District 16 under the supervision of the Secretary of State's Office. After the recount and review of disputed ballots, a 9-vote margin separates Christopher G. L. Hall (D) of Bristol and Leslie T. Fossel (R) of Alna. The recount determined that 8,893 ballots were cast for Hall and 8,884 ballots were cast for Fossel, with 63 ballots remaining in dispute and 4 additional ballots that were challenged on Election Day.

The recount began on November 18th. The candidates returned on Tuesday, November 19th to review and resolve the ballots that remained in dispute at the end of Monday's recount. Since there are sufficient ballots in dispute to determine the outcome of the election, the recount may be referred to the Maine Senate to decide the final result if the candidates do not resolve the recount by agreement. This procedure is set forth in the Maine Constitution.

All recounts are conducted in a secure State Police building on Hospital Street in Augusta. Recounts are a public proceeding and members of the media may attend to observe. State law requires the State Police to collect the ballots for the recounts and keep them in the secured State Police facility until the recounts have been completed. The ballots are stored in tamperproof metal containers and are closed with specially numbered security seals and locks.

In a recount, the representatives of each candidate and the staff of the Division of Elections manually review each ballot to determine the official vote tally. Recounts are requested based upon the unofficial initial results, sometimes called the apparent results.

A candidate who requests and receives a recount may withdraw from the recount, thus ending the process, at any time while the recount shows that candidate did not win the election. If, during the recount, the candidate requesting the recount overtakes the candidate who initially appeared to win the election, the candidate requesting the recount may not withdraw the request.

An updated recount schedule is attached.

Recount Requests and Schedule