Rochester Election Sits in a Dead Tie and a Recount May Not Even Settle It

The Town of Rochester finds itself in an unusual predicament. After a review of yesterday's election results, the Town Administrator is reporting that one of the ballots was rejected by the voting machine. Before poll workers realized there was an issue, the voter had already left the building.
As a result, an already tight school committee race got ever tighter. In a field of four, the top two vote getters would be named to the Rochester Memorial School Committee. Katherine Duggan led the way with 624 out of 2,266 votes cast.

A One Vote Lead Becomes a Dead Heat

The issue at hand is which candidate will take the second seat. Between Isabel Gomes McCann and Barbara Lee, the race simply could not get tighter. A one vote McCann lead has now evaporated into a straight up tie with each candidate receiving 544 votes.

What Is the Next Step for the Rochester School Committee Race?

The next step will presumably be one of the candidates requesting a recount. The million dollar question is this, however. Once a recount has been completed, what happens if there is still a tie between Lee and McCann?

What Happens if There Is Still a Tie After a Recount?

We spoke with Rochester Town Administrator Cam Durant, who said that at this point that remains unclear.  While it would likely become a "failure to elect," Durant says the town council and the state's election board would weigh in on proper procedures. "Let's hope it can be resolved after a recount," said Durant.