Easton Recount: Dunsby is Still Ahead But ...

Adam Dunsby still came out ahead of write-in Val Buckley after a judge-ordered recount for the first selectman's race 1,060 to 1,025, but Buckley may ask Superior Court Justice Barbara Bellis to decide upon 32 ballots in dispute. The result could possibly push her past Scott Centrella's 1,044 votes for second selectman.

Centrella's vote totals were not included in Tuesday's recount, which focused solely on the first selectman's race.

Buckley's being within 20 votes of Centrella could spark an automatic recount and if Bellis approves 20 or more disputed ballots in Buckley's favor, she would surpass him — possibly setting up a scenario where Centrella and the Easton Republican Party demand a recount.

Dennis J. Kokenos, Buckley's attorney, said he will discuss whether or not to challenge the 32 disputed ballots with her on Wednesday morning.

Of the 32 disputed ballots, Kokenos said 28 had the write-in section for first selectman bubbled in, but no candidate's name had been written down. Buckley was the only write-in candidate for first selectman.

Robert Russo represented town election officials in the case Buckley brought against the town demanding that all ballots be counted.

"I think that everyone worked together to determine an accurate, valid count," Russo said Tuesday night. 

Val Buckley attended Tuesday's recount in the Samuel Staples School gym.

"Thirty-seven votes were found in this count," she told reporters. "There were 18 extra votes for me in the regular bin, which should have been in the write-in bin — and even Adam had three more."

Buckley said that shows the machines are not working well.

"I'm very, very glad that we went through this process, because it's eliminated many problems with the voting machines," she said.

Neither Dunsby nor Centrella attended the recount.

Robert Lessler, a Democrat reelected as a selectman, had nothing to lose in the recount, but still came to watch Tuesday's proceeding.

"I think this is the right thing to do," he said. "I think it's fine to count every vote and remove every doubt and shadow of a doubt."

Bev Dacey was among Buckley's supporters.

"I give credit to the tenacity of all those in town to get an accurate count and I'm only sorry that the powers that be didn't agree," she said. "Instead of hiring lawyers, they should have said, 'Let's do a recount.'"

During the recount, 215 first selectman ballots were considered blank, meaning no bubbles were filled in and no names were written down for any candidates in that race.

Some were wondering aloud why 51 ballots were allegedly unaccounted for, but that controversy quickly died down.

On Nov. 5, Buckley was not allowed to have a representative to observe the vote count, but this time around Judge Bellis ruled that all candidates should have representation.  

Counters worked at a long table inside Staples' gym Tuesday, under the watchful eyes of attorneys representing both parties and the area was cordoned off from the public. The process took around six hours.