Theodore seeks recount, citing voter concerns

By Jay Turner

It’s back to the ballots to determine another Select Board winner as local registrars brace for their second formal recount in as many town election cycles.

Tom Theodore

While no official announcement has been made by the Town Clerk’s office, Tom Theodore announced this week in a letter to voters that he will in fact be seeking a recount after finishing seven votes shy in his bid for reelection last Tuesday, June 16. As a result, Lisa Lopez, who was declared the winner on election night and has already been sworn into office, will experience her second consecutive recount after calling for one herself last year following her one-vote loss to Michael Loughran. (Loughran was subsequently reaffirmed the winner by a three-vote margin.)

In his letter to voters, Theodore stated that he has the “utmost respect” for each of his opponents and that his decision to request a recount was motivated by his desire to “ensure the integrity of the process, and to be certain that the true will of the voters has been accounted for.”

Theodore said he was moved to call for a recount after being “inundated” with calls and messages from voters who expressed concern “over the different methods afforded to residents in this election, and the ability to accurately calculate the votes.”

Lisa Lopez

“Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, by law voters were allowed to cast their ballot by absentee vote, mail-in early voting, and in-person voting at the polls the day of the election,” he said. “Ballots were mailed in, or dropped off at Memorial Hall starting in April. In this election there were a great number of moving parts, many of which we have not used or seen in previous elections. Every election deals with human factors and machine error, and with a vote this close, any inaccuracy could change the result.”

Initially presumed to be the winner of the second open seat after the circulation of unofficial results that had him ahead by 13 votes — mainly via informal channels such as social media — Theodore eventually slipped to third in the four-person race after all hand-counted ballots had been factored in. Incumbent Chris Connolly would go on to finish as the leading vote getter and was reelected with 2,468 votes, while Lopez prevailed over Theodore by a margin of 2,249 to 2,242. A final amended list of election results was posted three days later with one additional ballot factored in; however, the margin of victory remained the same as Lopez and Theodore each picked up one more vote (2,250 to 2,243).

Regarding the hand-counted ballots, Town Clerk Tracy Kenney has explained on several prior occasions that this process is standard for all elections, and she has repeatedly urged election night observers not to put too much stock into the unofficial totals generated by the voting machines. Essentially, a few of the ballots in each precinct, for a variety of reasons such as a voter making a stray mark, are unable to be read by the computerized tabulator and must be examined individually by the election workers and town clerk staff. This year, there were a few dozen such ballots — enough to produce a 20-vote swing and resulting in a late-night reversal of fortunes for the Lopez and Theodore campaigns.

Nevertheless, Theodore said the differing results only “added to the questioning of the accuracy of the process,” and when combined with the unique nature of this year’s election and the level of concern expressed by his supporters, it was enough, in his view, to warrant a second look.

No matter the result of the recount, however, Theodore said he will be “forever grateful” to the voters of Canton. “It has been an honor and privilege to represent you in our town government,” he said.

As for Lopez, while she may not be looking forward to the prospect of another recount, she fully supports Theodore’s right to request one. “I’m the first person to say that any candidate who has reason to doubt the accuracy of the vote count is certainly entitled to a recount,” she wrote in an email to the Citizen. “The integrity of the process is more important than who is the ‘winner’ or ‘loser.’”

Having gone through one just last spring, Lopez said a recount could pose logistical challenges this year given social distancing mandates and other public health restrictions associated with COVID-19. “But I’m confident the town will figure out the right way to manage it,” she said.

Regarding the recount procedure, Kenney said the first step would be to certify the signatures provided by the petitioner — in this case Theodore — and then the Board of Registrars would hold a meeting to set a date and venue for the recount to take place. They will also likely consult with local and state health officials to determine the safest way to conduct the recount in accordance with state election law.

All of the candidates involved in the race, along with their designated representatives, will be permitted to observe the proceedings and inspect the ballots. The public will also be permitted to observe the recount, albeit with restrictions likely in place to account for existing public health regulations due to COVID-19.

Additional details on the recount will be posted on the town website and also published in an upcoming edition of the Canton Citizen.

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