Maine will recount ballots in four races between Nov. 16 and Nov. 19 in Augusta, the Secretary of State's office announced Nov. 12. The recounts are open to the public and will be livestreamed.
The schedule, from the department's announcement, begins at 9 a.m. each day:
Monday, Nov. 16: State Senate District 18
Tuesday, Nov. 17: State House District 96
Wednesday, Nov. 18: State House District 106
Thursday, Nov. 19: Kennebec County Commissioner District 2
The recounts will be held in the Florian Room at the Maine Public Safety Building, 45 Commerce Ave., Augusta. The department says they will be livestreamed on the Secretary of State's YouTube page. The announcement does not name the candidates who requested the recounts or give the vote margins.
In a recount, representatives of each candidate and department staff manually review every paper ballot to determine the official tally, the department said. State law says a candidate other than the apparent winner must request a recount in writing within five business days after the election. The candidate's representatives or counsel take part in the recount under the Secretary of State's supervision, but the candidate may not act as a counter of ballots (Title 21-A, section 737-A).
Cost depends on the margin. For a legislative or single-county office, no deposit is required if the difference between the leading candidate and the requesting candidate is 1.5% or less of the votes cast. Above that, the deposit is $500 for margins up to 4%, then rises in steps to $10,000 for margins over 10%. The statute says the deposit is forfeited if the recount does not change the outcome and returned if it reverses the result.
The department says official results will be posted within 20 days after the election.
