Regarding Franken - how often has a recount overturned the original count?

[NewJeffCT]

I've often seen recounts grow or shrink the margins, but I have yet to see one actual go against the initial results.

For example, back in the 1990s, CT-02 made news by having a 2 vote difference in the initial count between Democrat Sam Gejdensen and Republic Ed Munster. However, the recount turned it into a 40-50 vote margin for Gejdensen.

Similarly, when Joe Courtney won the same district in 2006, the recount only slightly changed the final margin, not the actual winner.

It has probably happened, I just have never heard of it happening.

[nuxvomica]

1. I did a quick search and found this one:

The 2006 Vermont Auditor of Accounts election was held on November 7, 2006 and resulted in one of the closest state-wide election victories in Vermont history. It also resulted in the first state-wide election recount since 1980, and the first time in the state's history, that such a recount resulted in the overturning of the election night results.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vermont_Auditor_of_Accounts_election,_2006

[last1standing]

2. Ask Christine Gregoire.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_gubernatorial_election,_2004#Initial_results

I think she's probably offering some encouragement to Franken right now. :D

[Buzz Clik]

3. My thought, too.

Hers was a big one.

[rurallib]

4. We had one locally in 2004. Our candidate ended up winning by

5 votes.

[NewJeffCT]

5. great - were there lawsuits galore involved?

I'm guessing there will be regarding Coleman-Franken.

[rurallib]

7. No - a small race with optiscan ballots counted by hand

two reps from each party as the votes were counted. From what I heard the loser went into a tirade but eventually conceded.

[pnwmom]

6. Since the largest and/or most urban counties often have the most

vote counting problems, a hand recount could definitely (although time-consumingly) change the winner.

The Washington state recount for Governor in 2004 was a classic example. When they ran the ballots through the scanner a second time, it turned out that a significant number of ballots had been unrecorded the first machine-count, because they had been stuck to another (counted) ballot. When they did the final hand-count, a few more ballots went the Democrats way.

(And yes, the Republican candidate sued. The Democrat took office on time, but it was many months later that the lawsuit was finally decided, in the Democrat's favor.)