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Just back from the courthouse. The process: * Two deputies carried the ballots in sealed boxed into the computer room. * The BOE did a test run of the machines. * Two precincts that made up about 3% of the vote were selected for a hand recount. *Six teams of counters and observers were given ballots from the two precincts. Three teams counted one precinct. Three teams counted the other. My team was made up of a Republican counter; a Democratic counter; and observers from the Republican, Democratic and Green parties. I was a Democratic observer. *The observers sat opposite the counters. The counters each took half of the pile of cards assigned them. They first sorted the ballots by holding each ballot up and looking for the punched holes on the left side of the ballot. They were only recounting the presidential vote; and were only concerned with the numbers 4,6, 8 and 10. Provisional ballots from the precinct were included in the count. Absentee ballots were counted separately. * During this time I watched to see that there were no over or under votes and that the ballots were put into the correct pile. I did not see a single hanging chad. There were over votes and undervotes (no vote at all). * After sorting the ballots, the counter stacked them neatly and held them up to the light. You could see through the hole when the ballots were sorted correctly. *The counter then began counting the ballots and recording the outcome. *The counters then switched piles and repeated the procedure with the other half of the stack. *The report for each team was given to the director of the BOE. He and the elections board totaled the results. The ballots were run through the computer. *One precinct came out with the same numbers as the computer. The second precinct was incorrect and was counted two more times by the other three teams. The results were off by one vote each time. *At this time, the recount was suspended for the evening. We will meet again later in the week to count that precinct again. If the results are still off, it may mean a hand recount for the entire county. I do not know which candidate benefited from the one vote. The candidates were rotated on the ballots for each precinct. We were not told the position of the candidates on the ballot. I considered the recount very fair and very impartial. It's a difficult process, but important in making sure every vote is counted correctly. If you have any questions, please ask. I'll try to answer. cmd
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