The votes have been counted, and the winners announced for the May 11 New Brunswick municipal elections, but for those close race contests that came right down to the wire, some candidates choose to request a recount.
“In New Brunswick, the margin of victory is 25 votes. So anybody who has lost by 25 votes or less can apply to their municipal returning officer for a recount, “Elections NB Chief Electoral Officer Kim Poffenroth explained.
She stressed that it’s not automatic, and an application must be received. Poffenroth also noted that not everyone who is within a 25-vote margin will apply for a recount.
“In 2021, we had a large number of individuals who were eligible to apply for a recount, but the number who actually did was significantly lower, and that is in part because we do use the tabulation machines,” Poffenroth stated.
She added that the machines are extremely accurate at counting, and people have learned that they don’t make mistakes, like when votes were counted by hand.
