Assembly recounts
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel All Politics Watch Blog has a summary of the timeline for the three assembly recounts.
Madison - Three narrowly won Assembly races will be recounted.
Canvassers in southwestern Wisconsin began a recount this morning requested by Democrat Gail Frie, who lost to by 430 votes to Rep. Lee Nerison (R-Westby), according to unofficial totals. Assembly Speaker-elect Mike Huebsch (R-West Salem) said that clerks discovered an extra 100 votes for the Democrat after the election, prompting the candidate's request for a recount.
The two other recounts, which will begin Monday, are by narrower margins. Republicans hope to reclaim two of the eight seats they lost in the Nov. 7 Democratic sweep. Unofficial counts said Rep. Judy Krawczyk (R-Green Bay) lost by 78 votes and Rep. Debi Towns (R-Janesville) lost by nine votes.
If the recounts do not reverse any results, Republicans will control the Assembly 52-47 for the session that begins in January.
The recount in the Krawcyzk race is expected to take less than a day, but the other two could take longer because they include rural areas where votes must be recounted by hand, said Kyle Richmond, a spokesman for the state Elections Board.
Notice the line about the 100 votes that were found after the election for one of the candidates. This is why we elect folks in November and don't swear them in until January. There are mistakes and time should be allowed to get accurate vote counts before everyone starts yelling for folks to concede. Making sure we get an accurate count is an important part of our democracy.
posted by whatsleftwi @ 2:52 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
I was in on the canvassing in Vernon County as an observer and there were many mistakes. The gap closed by 19 votes, but it took all day and it was obvious that many people counting the votes were either overtired or didn't know the process. I'm really interested to see what is in the bags of ballots. We need better training of those at the polling places and if we use machines they shouldn't break down...we had several break that evening.
Hey Lefty: 100 votes is one thing, and certainly if an election is that close, a recount is justified. 9000 votes, even at half a percent, is wishful thinking at best, hence the call to concede. I can just imagine the screaming from your side if the shoe was on the other foot.
The shoe is on both feet, 2 repubs and 1 dem, so what...we shouldn't count votes? We need not be nervous that an accurate count is done. That is democracy, wishful thinking or not.
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