Two state Assembly districts face the possibility of a recount after the contenders were left only a handful of votes apart, possibly affecting when absentee ballots can be sent to overseas voters to comply with a new federal law.
In the district 45 race, which covers portions of Rock and Walworth Counties, Jeff Klett is requesting a recount after an apparent loss to Amy Loudenbeck by a margin of only 19 votes, according to unofficial results collected by the Associated Press.
Unofficial returns collected by the AP in the 32 district race, which covers parts of Walworth and Kenosha Counties, show Adam Gibbs up by only four votes over his opponent Tyler August.
Once the counties certify the vote totals, the results of the elections will be sent to the Government Accountability Board for certification, and candidates then have three days to request a recount, according to GAB spokesperson Reid Magney.
Recounts are not all that common, but because the districts where these recounts may be requested are relatively small, the process generally moves along fairly quickly, Magney said.
Magney added the GAB will do its best to work with the county clerks and other local election officials to move the process along as quickly as possible.
In addition to the time a recount takes, the chance of a recount comes into direct conflict with a new federal law requiring overseas ballots be sent to military members and overseas citizens by Oct. 1.
A recent agreement between Wisconsin and the United States Department of Justice requires Wisconsin to give overseas citizens a minimum of 45 days to return their ballots. Wisconsin will count ballots of overseas voters as long as they are received by Nov. 19, giving them approximately 50 days to vote.
The possibility of a recount in these two districts has raised concerns about whether the overseas voters and military personnel in these districts will have enough time to vote, but these concerns are unlikely to be realized, Magney said.
While recounts do not necessarily change the results of the election, there is always a chance of something happening, Magney said.
“One of those races (32nd District race) is at only four votes,” Magney said. “Things can certainly change.”
Despite the possibility of change, 45th district apparent winner Loudenbeck said she was confident the results would remain the same.
“As a candidate that has a lot of momentum in a district that has been traditionally Democratic, I need all the support I can get, starting tomorrow,” Loudenbeck said.
Additionally, the impact on overseas voters from these districts should be minimal.
There are only 19 voters in these two districts registered as overseas voters, and because the districts are relatively small, even if there is a recount there still should be enough time to send ballots the standard way, Magney said.
If there isn’t enough time, there are steps in place to give these citizens a fair chance to vote, including faxing and e-mailing them their ballots, Magney said.