On Friday, March 18 at 6:00 PM there will be a recount of the votes for Warrant Article #2 in the high school cafeteria. How does this work and what does it mean?
First, the voting last week had a bond on it that, if approved, would provide money to build an addition and eliminate the portables at the elementary school. This vote had to be approved by 60% of those who voted either "yes" or "no" on this article. A total of 1456 voted on this article with 855 voting "yes" and 601 voting "no". This meant, the article failed by 19 votes. A small number when you consider the number of voters who came out to vote!
A recount was asked for. Anyone can ask for a recount with ten legal signatures agreeing to this recount and a $10.00 fee. This request is given to the School Board Clerk. The School Board Clerk, Linda Hoelzel, sets the date and time for this and it cannot be earlier than "5 days, nor later than 10 days after receipt of the application." By the way, the ballots were all sealed in a box following the voting.
Since this is a School District Article, the School Board acts as the "Recount Board" along with the School District Clerk and the School District Moderator. This recount concerns a warrant article and not the election of a board member,
so all the board members can participate as the board of recount and it is the board members who were elected at this year's
meeting who do the recount.
According to the "New Hampshire Election Procedure Manual: 2014-2015", the"process to be used in conducting the recount is left to the discretion of the Board of Recount." Observers should be present for each team of counters-they are allowed to see the ballot, but not touch it. If "the observer wishes to protest how the recount team is counting a particular ballot he or she needs to do so at the moment in time when that ballot is being counted by the team." The Manual further states that,"At some point,..... all the protested ballots should be ruled on by the Board of Recount."
Following the recount, a determination will be made on this bond issue- either, yes, the elementary school project is going forward (because the voters approved this by 60%), or no, it will not happen this year. This has been a very interesting year for voters!
