It looked like all the numbers had been crunched in last week’s election, but a last-minute correction put the race for the 33rd state Senate District within a margin that requires a recount, officials with the Secretary of the State’s office said Thursday.
Without much explanation an official in the Essex Registrar of Voters office said Thursday that they submitted the wrong totals to the Secretary of the State’s office on Election night. The new totals still give First Selectman Norm Needleman a 137 vote lead over Rep. Melissa Ziobron of East Haddam, but still fall within the margin for a recount.
Secretary of the State Denise Merrill is giving the registrars until Monday, Nov. 19 to recount all the votes in district, which includes Essex, Westbrook, East Haddam, Chester, East Hampton, Old Saybrook, Clinton, and Colchester.
“As you are aware, the statutory deadline to conduct any recanvass was YESTERDAY, Wednesday, November 14, 2018,” Ted Bromley, a staff attorney, wrote. “However, the main goal of all election officials is to ensure that candidate vote totals are correct and that the public has confidence in the process. It is because of this important duty that we are requiring that the recanvass you will conduct must be completed no later than Monday, November 19, 2018. Once the recanvass is complete our office will review and decide if additional action against those involved will be required.”
Officials in Essex said they did not know when the recount would happen, but it would likely happen on Monday, Nov. 19.
