FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 15, 2010
Contact:  Matthew Dunlap
207-626-8400

Secretary of State’s Office Schedules Recount for Senate District 1 Republican Primary

Augusta - The Secretary of State’s office has scheduled a recount of ballots cast in the Senate District 1 republican primary. The recount will be held on Thursday, June 17, 2010 beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the Maine State Police Operations Center at the Central Maine Commerce Center in Augusta.

Unofficial election results indicated that Michael L. Estes received 1546 votes and Sarah O. Lewin received 1544 votes.

As required by Maine law, 21-A M.R.S.A. §698, the ballots were sealed in special security containers in each community on election night. The State Police have collected all ballot boxes from each community involved in the upcoming recount and will keep them in a secure location until the recount.

During a recount, representatives for each candidate and staff members of the state's Elections Division manually review each ballot to determine if the initial tabulation in the election is correct.

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, however, the candidate requesting the recount overtakes and passes the candidate who initially appeared to win the election, the candidate requesting the recount may not withdraw the request.

If a recount produces enough disputed ballots to affect the outcome of the election, the Maine Supreme Judicial Court shall review the disputed ballots and will determine the outcome of the election.