BY ROD HANSEN
Recounts of two town ballot items in Goffstown and a school budget vote in Weare produced different numbers, but identical results.
Goffstown’s Article 13, which would have paid for a water distribution system in Lynchville/Danis Park through a $1.6 million bond and additional grant money, remained defeated 1,491 to 1,037 after the recount.
Because it was a bonded article, the item required a 60 percent majority, or 1,517 votes, to pass.
Resident John Paradis delivered a petitioned request for recount on Monday, March 19. Paradis, a longtime resident of the area affected by the article, acknowledged that he submitted the petition because he was unhappy with the vote and hoped a recount could produce different results.
Ultimately, the recount produced one more positive vote and one more negative vote than the original tally, Town Clerk Donna Bergeron said.
The article’s margin of defeat remained 26 votes following the recount.
A second article, which would have given the town authority to establish a tax increment financing district, was also subject to a petitioned recount request. The item, appearing as Article 22 on the ballot, passed by a total of three votes in the March 13 election.
The recount produced a tally of 1,169 to 1,166, exactly three more negative and three more positive votes than the original count.
The additional votes likely came from cases in which voters placed an “X” inside the oval on the ballot rather than filling it in, Bergeron said.
The recount took place on Sunday, March 25, in the Mildred Stark Room of town hall. Votes were recounted by Bergeron, Town Moderator Rod Stark and members of the board of selectmen, with about a dozen community volunteers helping to sort the ballots.
Weare
A recount of Weare’s razor-thin school district operating budget defeat also produced no change in outcome.
The original machine count handed the $11.9 million operating budget a defeat of 646-643, while the recount put the number at 648-645 with the addition of two negative and two positive votes. The recount took place at the Weare town offices Friday, March 23, beginning at 6 p.m.
The recount took one hour and 20 minutes, according to School District Clerk Tina Pelletier.