Recount in 23rd Congressional District continues

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November 21, 2009

By JOE LOTEMPLIO The Press Republican Sat Nov 21, 2009, 11:12 AM EST

PLATTSBURGH — As the recounting of votes in the 23rd Congressional District race continues, hopes for the challenger are dimming.

“There is a small glimmer of hope, but it is very small,” Rob Ryan, spokesman for Conservative Party candidate Douglas Hoffman, said Friday.

Hoffman conceded the election to Democrat William Owens on election night when it appeared that Owens had a 5,700-vote margin.

But a recanvassing of voting machines and counting of paper ballots since then have narrowed the gap to about 3,000 votes.

Hoffman unconceded Tuesday.

But the latest totals show there is little chance of victory.

The Watertown Times reported on Thursday that Owens’s lead was 3,105 votes with 3,072 absentee ballots to still be counted.

Ryan said there were problems with some of the new electronic voting machines that could mean questionable vote totals.

“It was a pilot program for these machines,” Ryan said.

“We are in a gray area here.”

The New York State Board of Elections released a statement late Friday saying there was no virus in the voting machines.

“The results in the 23rd Congressional District, and all other contests in counties which utilized optical scan voting machines, will have been canvassed and audited pursuant to state election law, and will be certified in due course,” the statement said.

“In the end, the new optical scan voting systems guarantee we have ballots as marked by voters ensuring that every vote is counted.”

Ryan said challenging the results could be too expensive as it would take attorneys working in all 11 counties of the district.

“We will take a look at this over the weekend and decide what to do,” Ryan said.

Owens was sworn in Nov. 6, three days after the election.

Election results are not expected to be certified by the state until Nov. 28.

E-mail Joe LoTemplio at:

jlotemplio@pressrepublican.com