Rows upon rows of blue boxes lined the second floor hall of the Indiana County Court House, as county election officials prepared to begin the local end of the state-mandated recount of the Nov. 5 U.S.
Senate election. Chief Clerk Robin Maryai told the board of commissioners Wednesday morning that the recount was to run from 2 to 4 p.m.
, then pick up at 9 a.m. today.
The recount follows completion of a required canvass of votes from Nov. 5, that had to be done by Wednesday and then certified by Nov. 25.
The deadline for the recount is noon Nov. 26, with each county submitting its recount results to the Pennsylvania Department of State no later than noon on Nov. 27.
That department’s head, Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt, said special equipment is needed, separate from that used for the regular canvass of the ballots cast on Nov. 5, of some 7 million ballots cast for U.S.
Senate. Commissioner Sherene Hess asked if Act 88 funds could be utilized. Per state law, Act 88 establishes the Election Integrity Grant Program “to provide grants to counties for the administration of elections.
” Maryai said some funds could be used but it would not cover the total costs of the recount.In at least one nearby county the recount is done, with little change in the results from election night. Originally, Armstrong County reported 26,653 votes for Republican David McCormick, 9,136 for Democratic incumbent Robert P.
Casey Jr. The recount gave Casey a net gain of four votes, leavin.