Community Corner

Cheshire Vote Recount Today

Recount could give Democrats an additional seat on the council.

Today's vote recount for the Town Council District 4 seat is expected to take less than two hours, but the outcome will affect the council for at least two years.

Last week's election results initially showed a tie of 797 votes between Republican incumbent Steve Carroll and his challenger, Democrat Peter Talbot. However, a review by the Registars of Voters of the voting machine "tape" gave Talbot a two-vote margin.

At stake in the recount is the incumbency of Republican Steve Carroll who hoped to win a full two-year term after being appointed to the council in December 2010. Carroll filled the unexpired term of Republican Tim White who resigned.

Find out what's happening in Cheshirewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Talbot is seeking to move from a seat on the Board of Education to the council. If the recount gives Talbot a victory, the Republican majority on the council would be reduced to 6-3 from 7-2.

Reacting to word of the recount, Talbot wrote in an email that while he's ahead by two votes, he's not taking anything for granted. "Regardless of the outcome, I am very pleased with the race we ran and anytime you can take an incumbent to 'overtime' then you were successful," Talbot wrote.

Find out what's happening in Cheshirewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

After it was clear on Tuesday that the Republicans had kept their majority on the council, Chairman Tim Slocum said he would rally the party for a bigger goal. "I want the Republican Town Committee to help in a larger way for a better turnout," in the 2012 elections.

Only about 30 percent of the eligible voters in Cheshire went to the polls on Nov. 8. That's down six percent from the 2009 municipal elections.


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