202 uncounted Grafton Town Election ballots discovered
A box filled with 202 uncounted ballots was discovered in the Town Clerk’s vault after last week’s town election, potentially calling into question the results of $4 million Proposition 2 1/2 override.
The ballots, all from Precinct 2, were among the early votes cast in the June 23 election, which saw thousands opting to vote by mail to avoid lines during the COVID-19 pandemic. The official count notes 3,301 ballots cast.
Town Administrator Tim McInerney said the ballots were discovered by the assistant town clerk Tuesday and notified Town Clerk Kandy Lavallee.
“Immediately on discovery, the clerk contacted the state, she contacted counsel, she contacted us,” McInerney said.
The town will be filing in Worcester Superior Court Wednesday to have the ballots counted.
While the votes could not change the results of the Select Board race, in which Mathew Often and Colleen Roy beat incumbents Donna Stock and Jennifer Thomas by a wide margin, the Proposition 2 1/2 override won by only 98 votes.
McInerney said a change to the override vote is “highly unlikely,” since it would require those voted to be 3-1 against.
“What are we doing to make sure this is the end of this story?” Prisby asked.
McInerney said Lavallee throughly searched the vault for other sealed ballots. The box had apparently been left behind when the early and absentee ballots were taken to the polls on town election day.
Lavallee is “deeply regretful” and will be issuing a statement Wednesday, he added.
McInerney sent out the following to the Select Board earlier in the day:
I was just informed by the Town Clerk, that her office discovered a box of 202 early ballots from Precinct 2 that were inadvertently not brought to the polls on election day, and as a result, not counted in the final tally for the election. These ballots were secured and sealed in the vault and remained sealed today. We reached out to the State to determine what the next step is and they have told us to file a request for a first count with the Superior Court. Town Counsel is drafting that request as we speak. That request will be filed today. The order will allow a small team, assembled by the Clerk, to open and count the 202 ballots. This team will likely be Election Workers as well as Registrars who will need to be present. Once the ballots are counted, they will be added to the current figures for that precinct. While these votes will not change any elected memberships to Boards, it may change the results of the override vote. We will keep you updated as we receive more information on the timing of the count.
