The crux of the dispute over who won the race to represent Portland’s northern suburbs in the state Senate lies in the origin of 21 ballots from the town of Long Island that can’t be attributed to any voter. But that’s not the only unsettled aspect from the state Senate District 25 race between Republican Cathy Manchester and Democrat Cathy Breen.
In addition to the 21 ballots of unknown origin, the post-election recount that flipped the tally and put Manchester on top (Breen initially had a 32-vote lead after election night) also turned up nine ballots that remain in dispute. In other words, those conducting the ballot recount couldn’t agree on which candidate each voter intended to support. Other ballots in the contest are missing.
Four of the disputed ballots come from Cumberland, three are from Yarmouth, and one each is from Falmouth and Westbrook. Some have markings in the circles for each candidate. Others haven’t fully filled in the circle. Others have extraneous markings.
The secretary of state’s office provided copies of the records of the nine disputed ballots. Can you discern the voters’ intent? Click on the image to see the relevant portions of each disputed ballot.
