Down for the count, err recount: Republicans fault election law

Much to the chagrin of Republicans, who are licking their wounds after Tom Foley’s concession to Dan Malloy in the governor’s race today, Connecticut’s election law only provides for an automatic recount if the margin of victory is less than one half of 1 percent of the total votes cast or 2,000 votes — whichever number is smaller.

Their candidate may have lost, but a number of GOPers want the law changed to eliminate the 2,000-vote cap, which they say isn’t nearly enough of a sampling for major statewide races such as governor.

Foley would have come within 172 votes of forcing a recount if the one half of 1 percent threshold was applied to race, in which 1.1 million ballots were cast and Malloy won by 5,810 votes, according to latest figures from the Secretary of the State.

“Two thousand votes is not nearly enough assurance that we have the right result,” said Jim Campbell, chairman of the Republican Town Committee in Foley’s hometown of Greenwich. “I hope the legislature looks at that. People need to be sure that we have the right result.”

Neil Vigdor