BRUNSWICK

Maine House District 50 candidate Jackie Sartoris said she may decide later today whether or not to seek a recount after a tight Democratic primary election against Ralph Tucker.

Speaking today, Sartoris said she wanted to hear more feedback from family and supporters, before deciding whether to request the recount.

“I don’t want to drag this out,” Sartoris said, adding that she would like to make a decision before this weekend at the latest.

Official tallies from the Town Clerk’s office had Tucker leading Sartoris 441- 432, with 14 blank ballots.

According to Maine Deputy Secretary of State Julie Flynn, such a narrow margin would allow Sartoris to pursue a recount at no cost to her.

Sartoris said she had two incentives to request a recount. The Secretary of State’s office is encouraging her to seek the recount, and the recount would come at no cost to Sartoris. To do so, she would have to make a written request to the Secretary of State’s office by 5 p.m. June 17.

If a recount is requested, Maine State Police would transport the ballots from Brunswick to a secure space in Augusta, where they would be counted by six representatives each of Sartoris and Tucker.

If no consensus is reached by the Sartoris and Tucker camps, an appeal would be made to the Maine Supreme Court, said Flynn, because it is a primary race. Recount disputes in general elections are handled by the Legislature.

A few York County races, in Lyman and Waterboro, as well as in the Sanford area, may also be subject to a recount, according to Flynn.

Votes were being certified by Town Clerk Fran Smith on Wednesday. Smith said it didn’t appear the numbers would change in the District 50 race.

According to Flynn, and contrary to what has been previously reported in The Times Record, there is nothing that would trigger an automatic recount.

After the results were announced Tuesday at the polls at Brunswick Junior High School, word of an automatic recount began through Tucker and Sartoris supporters. Shortly after, Sartoris posted on her campaign’s Facebook page, “We’re down 9 votes, so apparently there is an automatic recount.”

On Wednesday, Sartoris posted, “I’m not sure where the ‘automatic recount’ report came from last night, and widely reported in the press. I read the statute this morning, and there is certainly nothing automatic to be found there …”

In both posts, Sartoris stated that it was unlikely that the results would change.

Tucker acknowledged the election results on his campaign’s

Facebook page, and several supporters posted congratulatory messages. While thanking his family and supporters, and complimenting Sartoris on her campaign, Tucker stopped short of declaring victory.

Speaking Tuesday night, Tucker noted that “There’s a process for recount, and it will work its way out.” However, on Wednesday, Tucker said that he “made no statements” the previous night indicating that a recount would be automatic.

Confusion about the recount may be because the law changed several years ago, according to Flynn. Under a previous law that has since been changed, a difference of less than 1 percent would trigger state police to automatically retrieve ballots in anticipation of a requested recount. However, the recount itself would not be performed unless requested by the losing candidate.

The law was changed, Flynn said, after several instances of ballots being retrieved even though candidates did not request a recount.

Flynn also appeared to support a recount in the District 50 primary.

“When there’s a race this close, it’s a good thing to do,” said Flynn.

jswinconeck@timesrecord.com