Recount may have to decide Merrimack Valley race
Merrimack Valley municipalities are feverishly verifying the dozens of provisional ballots remaining in the Massachusetts 3rd Congressional District race, which appears headed for a recount as fewer than 60 votes separate the leaders.
Lori Trahan, who served as chief of staff for former U.S. Rep. Martin Meehan, maintains she’s the winner as she remains on top, 18,368 to 18,316, over Daniel A. Koh with every precinct reporting.
“I’m confident that I am the Democratic nominee,” Trahan said yesterday.
But Koh, a former top aide for Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh, isn’t conceding, saying he’s preparing to call for a recount — if it does end up that he’s trailing once all the votes are counted.
“It’s clear that the final outcome of the election will not be known for a few days,” Koh said in a statement.
An unknown number — Koh estimates hundreds, and city and town clerks say it’s at least dozens — of provisional ballots remains uncounted.
Provisional ballots are counted after all the other votes. These are the ballots given to people whose voter legitimacy is in question. For example, Methuen has five on the Democratic side, City Clerk Jack Wilson told the Herald. One appears to be legitimate, as it’s a person who is in the state’s system correctly but not on the precinct list. But another appears not to be a legitimate vote, as it was a registered Republican who insisted he should be able to have a Democratic ballot, Wilson said.
Lawrence, one of the district’s larger cities, is working on 31 provisional ballots.
Election chief Eda Matchak of Lowell, the most populous city in the district, said her department is still figuring out how many provisional ballots they have.
Several towns reported no provisional ballots, others reported numbers in the single digits, and many couldn’t be reached for comment yesterday afternoon. All must have their votes in by Friday evening.
Secretary of State William F. Galvin’s office has ordered the more than 84,000 total ballots already counted to be impounded.
The race appears to be falling well within the halfpercent threshold needed for a recount. If Koh wants a recount, he’ll have to collect 500 signatures from across the district over the next few days. Notice must go to local officials by tomorrow evening, and Galvin’s office by Tuesday. The recount would happen by Sept. 17 in a public place yet to be determined.
Koh, Trahan and eight other Democrats ran in a 10-candidate field for the nomination to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Niki Tsongas. The winner — whowill be Trahan or Koh — faces Republican Rick Green on Nov. 6.
“Hopefully any remaining questions about the results of this primary election will be expeditiously resolved so we can all get behind the winner and focus on the task ahead,” Tsongas said yesterday.