http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/aploca...or%20Re%20count
Tuesday, November 16, 2004 · Last updated 10:17 a.m. PT
Grays Harbor County vote re-count expected to boost Gregoire
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
MONTESANO, Wash. -- Grays Harbor County will have to re-count all of its ballots because of a problem with a computer reporting system, The Daily World of Aberdeen reported Tuesday.
County Auditor Vern Spatz said the re-count will likely add to Democrat Christine Gregoire's total votes for governor.
Statewide, at last count, Gregoire was 158 votes ahead of Republican Dino Rossi, out of 2.8 million ballots cast. The deadline for counties to finish tallying ballots is Wednesday.
"We do not have to rescan them, we could just rerun the report, but we don't want to have anybody have any doubts about this election," Spatz said. "We're going to take the time and effort to rescan every ballot in our office and generate new totals. It takes away any question."
On Monday, Rossi led Gregoire by 231 votes in Grays Harbor County. There are around 30,000 ballots to be counted, but the exact number of ballots is now in question.
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"The Daily World" article:
Grays Harbor to recount all its ballots
By Paula Horton
It's like Election Day all over again at the Grays Harbor County Auditor's Office.
Election workers started from scratch this morning, recounting all the ballots cast in the Nov. 2 General Election after a problem was found with the counting system, Auditor Vern Spatz said. The problem could affect the totals in every race, but is likely to change the outcome in two, he said.
Spatz said he thinks businesswoman Diane Ellison will overtake Dave Timmons in the Grays Harbor PUD race. Ellison had already conceded.
And the numbers in the close gubernatorial race will add to Democrat Christine Gregoire's total, meaning she's likely to take this county, Spatz said.
The recount began at 9 a.m. with observers from the Grays Harbor Republicans, the Secretary of State's Office and someone from Gregoire's campaign.
"We do not have to rescan them, we could just rerun the report, but we don't want to have anybody have any doubts about this election," Spatz said. "We're going to take the time and effort to rescan every ballot in our office and generate new totals. It takes away any question."
They were starting with Election Day returns this morning to keep those separate from the absentee ballot totals.