Print

Bysiewicz: Recounts Taking Place in Two Legislative Districts in Hartford Following Close Primary Votes

Hartford Registrars Have Until Tuesday August 17th to Complete Recounts in General Assembly Districts 1 & 4

by Jeff Cohen

August 11, 2010

Hartford: Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz today announced that recounts will be conducted in two legislative districts in Hartford following Primary Elections that took place on Tuesday August 10, 2010. According to state law, automatic “close vote” recounts are triggered by election results where the margin for a particular seat is either within 0.5% of the total votes cast or within 20 votes. There are also discrepancy recounts that can be called for by election moderators if there is a discrepancy in the results. Pursuant to Connecticut General Statutes 9-311 and 9-311a, recounts are to be conducted by election moderators and supervised by Registrars of Voters. The recounts for the 2010 Primary Elections must be complete by Tuesday August 17, 2010.

“At this point only a handful of votes separates the candidates in two hotly contested Democratic legislative primary races in Hartford, so by law they both qualify for automatic recounts,” said Secretary Bysiewicz, Connecticut’s chief elections official. “These recounts serve as a good reminder why it is so important that everyone who is eligible to vote registers and makes their voice heard on Election Day by casting a ballot, since every vote truly does matter. I am confident that the Hartford Democratic Registrar of Voters will successfully and accurately conduct these recounts and get the official results to my office by next Tuesday’s deadline.”

In Hartford’s primary for General Assembly District #1, initial machine tabulations had Democrat Kenneth Green leading his opponent Matt Ritter by only three votes, while in Assembly District #4, the initial count on primary night had Democrat Kelvin Roldan leading opponent Angel Morales by just nine votes. Both close totals qualify under the state’s automatic recount law.