HIGHLANDS – Election results for Highlands mayor remain unchanged after a recount Dec. 10. Carolyn Broullon has a one-vote lead over incumbent Mayor Rick O’Neil.
Official tallies show that Broullon has 603 votes versus O’Neil’s 602 votes. “If anyone ever doubted that their vote doesn’t count, it does,” said Broullon.
She, her wife and her attorney attended the recount Tuesday, as did O’Neil, one of his campaign representatives, his attorney and a council member. Broullon described the scene as quiet and “interesting.” As election commissioners counted the votes, they spoke the results as well and the can- didates were able to keep live tallies as the recount progressed. She said it was a shame the procedure couldn’t be recorded, as it would be a “cool way to show kids how very important” the process is.
Broullon also said she was not surprised by the outcome. “This process works, because now it has been hand-verified,” she said. “They’re literally hand-counting.”
O’Neil did not return The Two River Times’ requests for comment.
As of Dec. 12, O’Neil had 10 days to contest the election results. He would need to petition the court and provide evidence to a judge as to why he feels there could be an error with the results. That could be for a host of reasons, like if some people voted who shouldn’t have because they no longer live in town.
