The Dagger is hearing that there is some sort of problem or discrepancy with the absentee ballot counting in Harford County which has lawyers and representatives from the local Republican and Democratic parties speeding to the Board of Elections office in Forest Hill.
Apparently, the tallying was expected to be completed today, but now won’t be finished until tomorrow due to the situation.
With fewer than 1,000 votes separating 1st Distrist congressional candidates Andy Harris and Frank Kratovil, the hotly contested race will be decided by the outstanding absentee and provisional ballots.
Harford County voted strongly for Harris and could be key to pulling out the congressional victory.
Amazing. MD’s absentee ballots don’t use chads, right?
Here’s what I’ve just heard from Craig Borne, a civil rights attorney and volunteer with the Harris campaign on site at the HC Board of Elections:
Attorneys from the Kratovil campaign tried to have all absenttee ballots in Harford County thrown out this morning. They claimed the ballots were invalid because the outer flaps had been removed. Their claim was unanimously rejected by the Board of Canvassers. The flaps had been removed with permission granted by the State Board of Elections in preparation for the vote count.
Next, the Kratovil campaign tried to keep the envelopes (which may contain information identifying the voter) together with the ballot. The Harford County legal councel rejected that effort.
Right now, votes are being validated and counted and the Kratovil campaign is protesting each vote.
Thanks for the update Cindy. I wonder why they picked Harford County for their protests?
Harris beat Kratovil in Harford County on Election Day:
33,959 (56.9%) to 24,074 (40.3%)
Absentees and provisionals usually don’t break much from the way the county at large voted. So Harris could expect 3 out of every 5 absentee ballots in Harford would be for him.
If Kratovil can shut Harris down in Harford, he’s likely to win the congressional seat.
Yep. I think I read that Harris will have to win 52-53% of the absentee votes.
Reports from the inside:
Sounds like Harris lost 355 in Wicomico, 126 in Caroline, 18 in Anne Arundel, 134 in Queen Anne’s, 80 to Cecil, 167 in Worchester, 226 in Kent, but picked up 143 in Baltimore.
With just Talbot, Somerset and Harford counties left to tally, it looks like Harris is down now by about 2,000 votes.
I think it’s safe to call Kratovil the 1st District Congressman-elect.
I’m told Harris picked up 242 votes in Harford, but is still down by about 2,000 votes, essentially ending the congressional race
The count of absentee ballots received as of Tuesday were fully counted on Thursday. Only overseas ballots, ballots postmarked by Tuesday and provisional ballots are left to be counted. Although Frank lost Harford he continues to run ahead in all the eastern shore counties. His count in Harford County was about 40% which is far greater than previous elections for Democratic candidates in this district. It is expected that Frank Kratovil’s lead will continue to hold and perhaps increase with the completion of the absentee count next Thursday.
In the words of Bob Dylan “For the times they are a changin’ “.
Dan is right. Now the question will be; is this change for the sake of change or change to make things better. My sense is that anything undertaken inside the I-495 beltway or near the end of I-97 (logic free zones) will be change for the sake of making the great ME look better, and to hell with the poor slobs who have to finance it!