Local Council, P&Z Recounts Yielded Adjusted Totals But No Reversals

By John Voket

After a nearly 24-hour task of reviewing and recounting ballots in the First and Third Districts, and a full recount of the Planning and Zoning commission race townwide, Republican council victories for John M. Aurelia, Sr, and A. Jeffrey Capeci were confirmed late last Thursday afternoon. In the P&Z contest, Democratic newcomer Richard English outpaced incumbent Robert Poulin by 24 votes.

The recount in those three local races commenced Wednesday morning a 9 am, after balloting for two Legislative Council and one Planning and Zoning seat triggered state criteria mandating the procedure. The Newtown Registrars of Voters office, aided by more than 20 sworn recount workers, began the meticulous task of examining every ballot cast in Districts 1 and 3, verifying the counts in the Legislative Council race, according to Democratic Registrar LeReine Frampton.

“State law mandates we must complete the recount within five business days after the election, but we wanted to have the information for people as soon as possible,” Ms Frampton said. “Unfortunately, we have to examine every single ballot cast in each of the three races involved.”

According to state law, she explained, recounts are mandatory in situations where candidates are separated by less than half of one percent of the total voters voting in the election, or there is a difference of 20 votes or less between a winning and losing candidate in any single race.

Every ballot was examined in the recount for the P&Z race. The District 1 and 3 ballots were reviewed for the council recounts

The recount in the District 3a and 3b Legislative Council races was triggered by Republican Jeffrey Capeci, who ultimately received 703 votes, Republican Constance Widman, who received 686 votes, as well as Independent Party of Newtown candidates Robert Murray, Jr, who received 699 votes, and Brendan J. Duffy, who received 682 votes.

Just a single vote separated Mr Murray and Mr Capeci after final balloting closed on Election Day.

In District 1, the recount was forced between Republican John Aurelia, who ultimately received 770 votes, and Democrat Frank Scalzo, with 759 votes. In the P&Z race, the less than one-half of one percent between fellow Democrats Robert H. Poulin and Richard A. English, who ultimately received 2,905 and 2,929, respectively, justified that review.

The process of conducting the recount was aided by compensated poll workers, Ms Frampton said, many of whom stayed at Town Hall South for nearly 14 hours Wednesday before being sent home. While Republican registrar Karin Aurelia was forced to recuse herself from involvement in any matters related to the District 1 recount, which involves her husband, the process still moved efficiently throughout the day, Ms Frampton said.

The total cost to the community for the recount was just under $6,000 Ms Frampton said Friday.