Manchester Selectboard Recount Set for Monday

The town of Manchester will undergo its first official recount since 2008 on Monday starting at 10 a.m. at the request of incumbent Selectboard candidate Laurie Kunz. 

“Many voters who supported me have reached out to request that I consider a recount of the vote,” said Kunz in a statement Friday. “After careful consideration, I have submitted the request for a hand count.”

Kunz went head-to-head with challenger Jonathan West for the two-year Selectboard seat, resulting in a tight race – the unofficial election results show an 11 vote lead for West at 601 votes, with 590 votes cast for Kunz. An earlier and more informal set of results was shared via the Town’s Facebook page an hour prior, reflecting a margin of only four votes.

“Almost 1,200 votes were cast, my opponent and I are separated by less than one percent of the vote,” Kunz said. “I owe it to the almost 600 people that voted for me to show them that I have done everything I can to make certain that their vote was counted.”

The request will spur a hand-count of the ballots on Monday, spearheaded by Town Clerk Anita Sheldon. 

Candidates are entitled to a recount within 10 days of an election if the margin is 5 percent or less of the total vote, under Vermont law. This is the first recount in Manchester since 2008, when challenger Jeff Wilson ultimately defeated incumbent Judith Livingston for her seat in the Vermont House of Representatives. 

A special session of the Manchester Selectboard is scheduled for Tuesday, March 12 where a re-organization of the board is on the agenda, including the election of a Chair, Vice Chair, and Clerk. 

"I look forward to confirming the results," West said in a statement on Friday. "I am thankful there is a path forward to finalizing this election's outcome."

“While I do not expect a different outcome, having the opportunity to validate the counts is part of our democratic process when contested races are this close,” Kunz said, thanking Sheldon and other town officials for their efforts. “I appreciate everyone’s patience and I want people to rest assured that I am ready to step down from my seat on the Selectboard as soon as the hand count is complete.”

https://www.manchesterjournal.com/local-news/kunz-calls-for-recount/article_c014eb28-dd94-11ee-bd20-0baede49230a.html