Posted on 11/17/2004 4:44:42 PM PST by TheConservator
This is a LIVE THREAD for discussion of the impending certification of final results in the Washington State Governor's race, between Dino Rossi (R) and Christine Gregoire (D).
The Secretary of State is required to certify the final results this evening. As of 4:28 P.M. PST, Gregoire leads by 29 votes with 2521 votes from 4 or 5 counties left to be reported. King County (the Dem's stronghold) has apparently made its final report.
Washington State law requires a machine recount if the certified results show a difference of less than 2000, which now seems almost certain. It also requires a manual recount if the difference is less than 150 votes. A machine recount is estimated to take a week, a hand recount a month or more.
If the final result were a tie, the winner would be decided by lot.
I can confirm that either party may request a machine recount if the difference is more than 2000, but they must put a deposit, and pay for, the cost of the recount.
I am not sure about a hand recount and will check.
Oh, don't you know anything?
If a Democrat is less than a few thousand votes behind, they win!
Anyone who says their vote can't make a difference should be forced to perform the handcount recount.
A hand recount costs 25 cents per vote, as opposed to 15 cents for a machine recount.
http://www.secstate.wa.gov/office/osos_news.aspx?i=SPlmpeBt1xLxpksVqw%2ft9w%3d%3d
I had a better feeling about this a week or so ago than I do now. But I still think Rossi will narrowly pull it out.
It may well be within the 150 vote hand recount margin, however.
There is one fairly even county (Grays Harbor) with 1221 ballots left, and then four Rossi counties.
Affirmative.
Q: But will that end the election?
A: Probably not. If the candidates are separated by fewer than 2,000 votes when the counties certify, state law requires the secretary of state to order a statewide machine recount of all the ballots. If the margin is 150 votes or fewer, a hand recount is required.
Q: When would that happen?
A: Secretary of State Sam Reed plans to order a recount immediately if the race is that close after today's certification. The counties would then have three business days -- until Monday -- to start counting.
Q: How long would a recount take?
A: Most counties can do it in a day. King County, the state's largest, likely would take four days. So a recount should end by Thanksgiving.
Q: And will that be it?
A: Not quite. The secretary of state must certify the winner of the election by Dec. 2. Once he does that, the loser can demand a recount, even if the margin is more than 2,000 votes.
Q: Again? Who pays for that?
A: The person demanding the recount has to post money to pay for it -- $420,000 for a machine recount or $700,000 for a hand recount. If the recount changes the winner, the taxpayer gets the tab.
Q: How long can this go on before there's a winner?
A: The loser is allowed to request only two recounts.
Unless they're liberals, in which case they should be given a penny and patted on the head.
I don't think a re-count has ever changed the outcome of an election in Washington, but I don't think one has ever been this close - this is like going through 2000 again with Slade - dumb b*tch, and Bush - what's his name.
I may be missing something, but what do you mean by "lot"?
Christine Gregoire Democrat 1369608 48.87%
Dino Rossi Republican 1369580 48.87%
Ruth Bennett Libertarian 63253 2.25%
http://vote.wa.gov/general/statewide_results.aspx?o=7FR30bVZqpnn5rCqJv1pVg%3d%3d
"If the final result were a tie, the winner would be decided by lot."
abraham isn't available?
As of 4:49 P.M PST Gregoire now leads by 28 votes with 2471 estimated ballots left to count (Skamania county reported).
I'm stickin' with my earlier prediction of about 300 in favor of Rossi.
"Draw Straws"...Coin flip...etc..
Flip of the coin, draw of the straw, or so forth.
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