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Centre County recount kicks into high gear

CHRIS MORELLI/THE EXPRESS Beth Lechman, Centre County’s Director of Elections and Voter Registration, right, sorts ballots with Carol Schempf as the recount began on Wednesday at the Willowbank Building.

CHRIS MORELLI/THE EXPRESS
Totes filled with ballots sit in the Willowbank Building on Wednesday. The ballots will be sorted and recounted over the next 24 to 48 hours. Final results are due back to the state by Tuesday, June 7.

BELLEFONTE — In the bowels of the Willowbank Building the recount of primary election day ballots had begun on Wednesday morning.

There were a handful of election workers being directed by Beth Lechman, Centre County’s Director of Elections and Voter Registration. Commissioner Steve Dershem was on hand, keeping a close eye on the process.

“The real important thing about the recount process is that you have an organized team. We are so blessed to have Beth Lechman here as our Elections Director and the folks who have been through just about every process in the election system,” Dershem said.

He was hopeful, he said, to have things wrapped up in less than 48 hours.

“We come, we’re organized and we’re thoughtful and we’ll have this done in a very, very timely manner,” Dershem said.

Every county in the Commonwealth is currently doing recounts.

The recount was mandated by the state because of the razor-thin margin between celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz and Dave McCormick in the too-close-to-call Republican primary. Earlier this week, McCormick’s camp requested hand recounts in Allegheny, Bucks, Centre, Chester, Cumberland, Delaware, Erie, Lancaster, Monroe, Schuylkill, Westmoreland and York counties.

McCormick’s request for a hand count has been described as a “Hail Mary” by some election officials.

Dershem said that the county will have the recount done in a timely fashion.

“This is the whole state and we are required to perform this by June 7. We have a finite amount of time to get this done. We’re starting on day one. We’ll finish up, get accurate results and do what we have to do to collate a winner on this senate race,” Dershem said.

As Dershem pointed out, its the second consecutive recount.

“This is two in a row. But at the same time, as the rules continually change and the court orders become what they become, we are learning not only to be accurate, but nimble,” Dershem said.

Two representatives from ES&S were on hand as well to help operate the DS850 — a machine used for situations just like these.

Chair Michael Pipe said that recounts are necessary from time to time.

“Recounts are a vital part of American democracy. If a contest is within a certain margin, it’s important to give those candidates the option of a recount,” Pipe said. “At the end of the process, a recount improves our faith and enhances the integrity of the results.”

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