For Immediate Release
November 18, 2002
Contact: Dan A. Gwadosky
207-626-8400

Update on Senate District 16
Recount to continue on Tuesday, November 19th

AUGUSTA--The recount resulting from the November General Election began today for Senate District 16 under the supervision of the Secretary of State's Office. Currently, a 9-vote margin separates Christopher G. L. Hall (D) of Bristol and Leslie T. Fossel (R) of Alna. The recount determined that 8,842 ballots were cast for Hall and 8,833 ballots were cast for Fossel, with 163 ballots remaining in dispute. The candidates have agreed to return on Tuesday, November 19th at 9:00 a.m. to review and resolve the disputed ballots. The final result may be decided by the Maine Senate, 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