'Winner' sees goof that may cost him

[MaineDem]

WINTERPORT — A candidate who won the Democratic nomination in House District 42 is being credited with noticing an election-night mistake that may cost him the race. Joe Brooks was declared the winner in his campaign against Donna Gilbert for the Democratic nomination. But Brooks said the outcome will probably be different because he noticed an apparent mistake while reviewing the tally sheets.

Brooks said his review of the transcripts in Winterport shows that instead of winning by nine votes, he may have lost by about 40 votes.

...

Selfridge said the town recorded that 239 voters cast ballots in Tuesday's election, when the actual number of ballots distributed was 227. She said it appeared that some votes had been added to the tally, and that some numbers may have been transposed from one column to the next.

Selfridge said Brooks pointed out some of the potential errors after he reviewed the tally sheets Wednesday night. But she said she can't review the actual ballots, because they've been sealed and shipped to Augusta.

http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/news/state/060617electionoops.shtml

Paper ballots are so easy to double-check. I love the fact that paper and pencil are used in so many Maine towns.

Also, Joe Brooks is a good guy. Looks like human error may cost him this race.

[AndyA]

1. Well he deserves recognition for being honest and doing the right thing.

If it costs him this race, there will be others and people will remember him for his honesty. America needs people like Joe Brooks to serve, who are honest, and won't forget their principles and ethics just because they've decided to have a political career.

It's too bad if this does change the outcome, but he needs to be encouraged to run again.

I sure couldn't see George Bush doing something (honest) like this, he'd say, "Yup, looks to me like I won! 9 votes - a mandate!!"

[jobycom]

2. It wouldn't be human error costing him the race, it would be

human honesty awarding the race to the person the people chose. I remember BushCo in 2000 claiming that the Democrats were trying to steal the election, that recounts were unfair to Bush, etc. They seemed to have no understanding that the ballots, the election, and the results should have been the voters', not Bush's. The will of the people was cast, and the only goal should have been discovering that will. Republicans don't get that. Nice to see Joe Brooks does.

[fasttense]

3. Damn honest Democratic politician

He sure wont get far in our culture of corruption. I think the American voters like their politicians to lie, steal and cheat. They have voted in so, so many of them.