This story was originally produced by the New Hampshire Bulletin, an independent local newsroom that allows NHPR and other outlets to republish its reporting.
More ballots need to be counted before finalizing therecount result of Manchester Ward 6, a seat that flipped from Republican to Democratic control Monday, Secretary of State Dave Scanlan announced Thursday.
That announcement brings uncertainty for two seats now held by Democrats, as Republicans have a razor-thin majority with 200 seats. Democrats currently hold 199 seats, and one seat is undecided due to atie.
Monday’s recount found that Democrat Maxine Mosley had defeated Republican Larry Gagne by just one vote to represent Hillsborough District 16.
But on Wednesday, Scanlan’s office said there was a discrepancy between how many ballots were counted during the recount and the final number reported by Manchester Ward 6, after receiving a revised report called a “return of votes.”
In reconciling those numbers, Scanlan said his office wasn’t sure all the ballots had been recounted and that the recount would need to continue. That is scheduled to take place on Monday, Nov. 21, at 4 p.m.
That’s not the only recount whose outcome is uncertain. Scanlan also announced that the Brentwood recount, completed Monday, appears to have excluded 27 absentee ballots. That race was also decided by just 15 votes, with Democrat Eric Turer beating Republican Melissa Litchfield. Because the 27 absentee ballots – which Scanlan doesn’t believe were counted on election night – could change the outcome of the race, he wants the Ballot Law Commission to order the ballots counted and added to the recount results for the district.
A Thursday recount of Hillsborough District 42 confirmed election night results, with Republican Keith Ammon beating Democrat Karen Roach.
Election night results were also confirmed in Merrimack District 12, where Republican Brian Seaworth beat Democrat Maurice Regan by 47 votes to represent Pembroke.
Recounts are nowscheduled through Monday, Nov. 28.
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