AUGUSTA--A recount resulting from the November General Election was held today for Senate District 23.   Betheda G. Edmonds (D) of Freeport remained the winner by a margin of 159 votes after the ballots were recounted under the supervision of the Secretary of State’s Office.  David P. Snow (R) of Yarmouth had requested the recount after the preliminary results from Election Day showed him to have lost the election. 

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.

A person requesting a recount may be required by law to make a deposit, depending on the margin of victory in the election.  For example, if the margin between the two candidates in an election is less than 2 % of the votes cast, then no deposit is required.  If the margin is 2 % to 4%, then a $500 deposit is required.  If the margin is greater than 4 %, then a $1,000 deposit is required.

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.

If a recount in a general election for the Maine House of Representatives produces enough disputed ballots to affect the election result, the House itself reviews the disputed ballots and resolves the election outcome.  This is also true for recounts affecting a Maine Senate seat.  This procedure is set forth in the Maine Constitution.

An updated list of all recounts requested as of this date is attached.  Five o’clock today was the deadline for requesting recounts for candidates and referendum questions.  In addition to the previously reported and scheduled recounts, requests were also received today for House Districts 72 and 151. 

Updates and results of the recounts will be available throughout the recount process by calling 626-8406.