FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2014
Contact: Kristen Schulze Muszynski
207-626-8404

Statement of Secretary of State Matt Dunlap on Senate District 25 Election Discrepancy

AUGUSTA In the matter of the disputed election in Senate District 25, the Secretary of States office has received inquiries regarding the inspection of the incoming Town of Long Island voter list and the effort to reconcile the 171 names checked off on that voter list with the 192 total ballots counted for the Town of Long Island at the recount of November 18th, 2014.

The recount did not resolve the dispute over the result of the election. Election night returns indicated that Democrat Catherine Breen was the apparent winner with 10,930 votes to 10,898 votes for Republican Cathleen Manchester. Manchester requested a recount. The recount, which tentatively shows the result to be reversed, with Manchester receiving 10,927 votes and Breen receiving 10,916 votes, continues to be disputed, so the matter will be considered for resolution by the Maine Senate pursuant to the Maine Constitution, Article IV, Part Second, Section 4.

On November 24th, 2014, officials of the Maine Secretary of States office opened the sealed voter list of the Town of Long Island to allow the parties to inspect it. The wardens return of votes cast for the November 4th, 2014, election indicated that 95 votes were cast for Breen, 65 for Manchester and 11 ballots left blank, for a total of 171 votes cast as indicated in the wardens return of ballots cast. The recount showed that 95 votes were cast for Breen, 86 for Manchester, and 11 blank ballots, indicating that 21 ballots for Manchester had not been tabulated by Long Island officials on Election Night, and that 192 total ballots had been cast.

The incoming voter list is consistent with the wardens return of votes cast, showing that 171 Long Island voters submitted ballots in the November 4th, 2014, general election. The voter list and the 21 ballots for Manchester recorded in the recount but not tabulated on Election Night will be among the materials available for review by the Senate as it resolves the disputed election.

This type of discrepancy has not occurred in recent memory, said Maine Secretary of State Matt Dunlap. It will be up to the Senate to try to discern whats happened here.

The Secretary of States Office supervision of the recount for Senate District 25 is now concluded, and the matter is now constitutionally in the purview of the Maine State Senate.