Juneau, Welch race headed for recount
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Former Ronan High School Principal Sandy Welch, who finished second to Denise Juneau in the race for Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction, plans to request a recount.
After Montana’s election canvass on Nov. 27, Welch had five days to request a recount. To qualify for a recount, an election must be close, within 1/2 of 1 percent of the total votes cast in that race. According to the Montana Secretary of State’s website, a total of 468,563 votes were cast in the race, and the margin between Juneau and Welch is 2,231 ballots.
Welch will have to post a bond in Flathead County to get the recount moving.
If the recount happens, all the voted ballots will have to be recounted by hand according to statute, said Lake County Election Administrator Kathie Newgard.
Only the first page of the ballot would be counted, since the Superintendent of Public Instruction race is on page two of the double-sided ballot, the third page of the ballot could be put aside. Newgard said she would have to hire four people, and she and one of her office crew would also help
According to the Montana Secretary of State’s office, estimates are the recount would cost $115,000 statewide.
