Town Clerk Laura Gemme, will be leading the Select Board and Board of Library Trustees recount today at the Hawkes Field House. Joining her in the process will be only two out of the three other regular members from the Board of Registrars; Krissandra Holmes and Nancy Ziemlak. The missing member, Tina Ohlson, will be out of the country and David Zeek was approved as a temporary replacement this past Tuesday by the Select Board.
The Hawkes Field House will be open to the public at 9AM until both recounts are completed. The general public may observe the recount from outside of the designated recount area.
Potential Attorneys
Each candidate for the same office will have the right to be present and to witness the recount, accompanied by counsel, if desired. Additionally, they may also be represented by “observers,” appointed by the candidate or counsel. In a meeting with the candidates earlier in the week, Attorney Dennis Newman, from the 2020 Recall of Vanessa Alvarado as well as the Florida 2000 Bush/Gore Presidential Recount was present. It’s unclear at this time if he’s representing any specific candidate(s) or if any candidates have their own attorneys. We will update this article if they do.
Recount Process
- (1) Ballots will be separated into blocks of 50.
- (2) There will be two groups of five tables. One group of five for Select Board (SB). The second group of five for Board of Library Trustees (BOLT).
- (3) Each block of 50 ballots will go to one of the SB tables first. They will be tallied per table per block of 50. Objections will be raised per table. You can only raise SB objections at SB tables.
- (4) Once the tally for each block of 50 is complete for the SB, THEN one of the BOLT tables will get the block of 50.
- (5) The BOLT objections will be separate from the SB objections and won’t slow down SB. Conversely, any SB objections would slow down BOLT since BOLT is tallied AFTER SB in the 50 ballot blocks. So, it will be simultaneous, but separate. SB has precedence and won’t be blocked by BOLT.
Recount Rules in Effect
- The only people who will be allowed to handle ballots and other election materials are recount workers and the members of the Board of Registrars. While agents may ask for a closer look, they may not touch the ballots or other election materials.
- Disorderly conduct and /or disruptive behavior will not be tolerated. Anyone creating a disturbance shall be warned once, then ejected and not allowed to return.
- Agents may challenge a decision of the recount workers as to how to count a particular ballot by stating the words “I object” or similar statement. Otherwise, agents must be silent to allow recount workers to count ballots without distraction. A runner will take the ballots which are the subject of objections to the Board of Registrars for final determination.
- Only the candidate or their attorney may present arguments to the Board of Registrars regarding ballots to which objects are raised during the counting process.
- Decisions of the Board of Registrars on any protested ballots will be final.
