Second Windsor Recount Produces Another Ballot; Candidates Tied

It was one month ago to the day that a recanvass of Windsor votes cast in the August 14 Democratic primary produced a one-vote lead for Leo Canty.

Hartford's Bradon McGee picked up a vote in a second recount, conducted Monday evening at Windsor town hall, placing the two candidates in a tie for the second time in this election.

The tie is unofficial, of course, as absentee ballots cast in Hartford will be examined Tuesday.

During the August 17 recount, Canty (named the winner of the primary by the secretary of state on August 21) lost one vote and McGee lost two. One of McGee's lost votes was labeled as a "missing ballot" by his campaign and a tabulation error by head moderator Jay Melley.

The vote McGee picked up came from district two — the district in which a ballot was believed to have gone missing.

In Hartford officials will also search for a missing ballot.

According to court testimony, Hartford City Clerk John Bazzano testified to having received 79 absentee ballots; however, 78 ballots were counted in Hartford's recount.

Following the results of Monday's recount McGee said he remains hopeful heading into an examination of Hartford absentee ballots.

Canty has remained just as optimistic, saying he has not felt frustrated despite having been declared the winner nearly one month ago.

If anything, Canty said, this experience "just shows the system, with a human component, is not perfect... The old way they used to settle these things is by flipping a coin, which I'm not in favor of."

Canty added that he's been in favor of a re-vote since the beginning.

Regardless of what is found Tuesday in Hartford, if anything, evidence will be reported to Judge A. Susan Peck.

The hearing will resume Wednesday morning, and the results of the recanvass do not have an affect on McGee's argument in court. 

McGee's attorney, William Sweeney, told Peck in court on September 14 that a difference in numbers would uphold their argument that mistakes were made in the election.

Although Peck's decision becomes increasingly difficult as deadlines associated with the November 6 general election approach, Canty said he reserves the right to appeal any new findings in the election, which could significantly prolong any decision in this case.