« Market for Manny Ramirez may be waning | Today | Teen killed in S. Kingstown crash ID'd »

December 4, 2006

A first: Some candidates inspect ballots

PROVIDENCE -- For the first time in state history, some candidates personally inspected ballots cast in their races today.

Candidates in the races for the East Providence City Council and House District 72 spent an hour and a half at the state Board of Elections this afternoon pouring through dozens of copies of provisional ballots and ballots that had been rejected by voting machines.

In each race, the inclusion of the ballots checked today would make a difference. But not, apparently, enough of a difference to change the initial outcome of either race.

East Providence former assistant Schools Supt. Isadore Ramos would increase his 16-vote lead over current Mayor Joseph Larisa Jr. by 9 votes if counting provisional ballots -- those cast by those voters in the wrong precinct.

And incumbent state Rep. Amy G. Rice would lose two votes in her battle against Republican John Robataille in the House race, but would continue to lead by seven votes.

Neither Larisa nor Robataille conceded today, stating that they would see their challenge through to the end. The inspection process will continue later in the week when state elections officials make available copies of absentee ballots on Wednesday.

“I’m not disappointed [that the inspected ballots so far, if challenged,
would not change the end result],” Larisa said today. “I’ve said from the start I
want everyone who voted to have their votes count. I am happy we’re looking
at every vote.”

The Board of Elections strongly opposed the inspection, stating it would
compromise the objectivity of the election process.

Superior Court Judge Stephen J. Fortunato ordered the board to make available for public scrutiny all absentee, provisional ballots as well as those counted manually by election officials and rejected by the voting machines at the candidates’ recount.

The state Supreme Court upheld Fortunato's ruling.

-- Journal staff writer Alisha A. Pina

Posted by Steve Peoples  at 7:03 PM | Permalink

Comments

Post a comment

Please be civil. Vicious comments, personal attacks and profanity won't be published. Name and email are required; email address will not publish.

Name:

Email Address:

URL:
Remember Me? YesNo

Comments: (you may use HTML tags for style)