Manual Recount Begins IN PA House Race

Philadelphia Inquirer | 12/19/2006 | Vote recount by hand begins in Chesco:

Despite a last-minute attempt to stop it, the manual recount of more than 23,000 votes cast in a critical Chester County statehouse race begins this morning.

With control of the state House of Representatives at stake, Democrats yesterday filed an appeal in Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court to stop the hand retallying.

The Democrats sought a machine-driven recount, arguing the manual recount could drag out and leave the West Chester area without a state representative when the legislature reconvenes Jan. 2. That would deny voters a voice in determining the next Speaker of the House, they said.

But the appeal was quickly quashed in an order signed by President Judge James Gardner Colins, who addressed the Democrats' concerns by ordering the Department of Voter Services to conduct and complete a hand recount no later than 5 p.m. Dec. 26.

Earlier this week, the head of Voter Services, Linda Cummings, estimated that a machine recount would take at least six days - which Democrats disputed - and that a hand recount would require seven to 10.

Only 23 votes separate Democratic frontrunner Barbara McIlvaine Smith from Republican Shannon Royer, a difference of one-tenth of 1 percent. Whichever candidate wins the 156th district seat will give his or her party a 102-101 edge in the House.