BATH

A candidate who lost by six votes in a three-way race for the Ward 7 City Council seat said this morning he was not sure if he will request a recount.

In Tuesday’s balloting, Cal Stilphen finished six votes behind apparent winner Everett “Tink” Mitchell. The City Council confirmed election results Wednesday night.

Stilphen said he planned to speak further with City Clerk Mary White regarding the recount process later this morning.

“I have more questions,” Stilphen said.

Stilphen said he was speaking with supporters, and weighing that input with putting city officials through the recount process.

“The issues in the city are too important not to look at them more closely,” he said.

Mitchell received 232 votes to 226 for Stilphen and 218 for Larry Scott.

At the earliest, ballot clerks would conduct a recount at City Hall on Nov. 14, White said Wednesday.

White, who has worked for 17 years in the clerk’s office, said she cannot recall a recount for City Council.

“I’ve had two state recounts in the past 11 years,” White said, “and they’ve both been spot-on.”

White said that the city ran out of Ward 7 ballots, and that 24 copies had to be run off and hand-counted. Bath had a large voter turnout, and many people registered on Election Day, she said.

Roger Therriault, city solicitor, said the recount process is done according to state statute.

Any appeal of the recount vote would be forwarded to the clerk of the Supreme Judicial Court, he said.

“That decision would be final,” Therriault said.

The race for Bath city councilor is among a handful of races still undecided today. Margins in two local races for state Senate also were too close to call.

In Senate District 17, a 33- vote margin separates incumbent Sen. Garrett Mason, RLisbon Falls, and Colleen Quint, his Democratic challenger, with 19,421 votes cast.

Mason said Wednesday he had been busy all afternoon trying to get updated numbers, which by late afternoon he said appeared to have him ahead by 35 votes, “so it’s going to be close. I’m anticipating a recount.”

Quint said this morning she still thinks a recount in the Senate District 17 race is likely. She is waiting for the official tally from the secretary of state, numbers she had been told should be in by the end of the week. Unofficial results are conflicting, she said, some with her winning and some reflect a much tighter race, “so we’re hoping in the next day or two at least that part will become clear.”

In Senate District 20, Republican Les Fossel of Alna and Sen. Christopher Johnson, D-Somerville, were 29 votes apart out of more than 23,000 cast, in a race in which Johnson has claimed victory.

Megan Sanborn, special assistant in the Office of the Secretary of State, said Wednesday the state had not received an official recount request from any candidate in either race.

There are no automatic recounts in Maine. A candidate must file a written request for a recount with the secretary of state within five business days of an election. Recounts are held under the supervision of the Secretary of State.

A candidate requesting a recount must make a deposit with the Secretary of State that’s refunded if the recount reverses the election; otherwise, it is forfeited to the state. The amount of the deposit increases as the margin increases. For example, if the vote difference is more than 2 percent but less or equal to 4 percent, a deposit of $500 is requested. Less than 2 percent, there is no deposit required. If the difference is more than 10 percent of votes cast, the deposit is $10,000.

dmoore@timesrecord.com lgrard@timesrecord.com