Update: The vote was close and high given that it was a referendum with reduced poll hours. The insiders’ choice won by 52% to 48%. There is no reason to believe the result is incorrect, yet with no audit there will always be a question of credibility in Connecticut referendums.
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Referendum: Front Page Story, Yet Paper Ballots Will Be Ignored
Business As Usual In the Nutmeg State – Another Electronic Vote Without A Post-Election Audit
Its front page news at the Hartford Courant. – South Windsor(*) voters to decide fate of illegal deal with shopping center in referendum tomorrow.
When the developers of the Evergreen Walk shopping center were seeking permits to build in 2001, they needed access to three pieces of land owned by the town of South Windsor.
The town gave easements to use the land, instead of transferring the land to the developers, but did so without holding a public hearing or referendum, as required by the town charter.
A judge rejected the original easement deal with the developers, as well as a subsequent effort to remedy the situation. In September 2007, the state Supreme Court upheld the Superior Court decisions and ruled that the easements involving the three parcels – a total of about 1.5 acres – were improper.
The high court also ordered the town to conduct a referendum. Giving easements was the same as transferring the land , and therefore required a public hearing and referendum, the court ruled.
What the Courant does not mention and voters likely don’t know is, that like all referendums, this vote will not be audited. All referendums and questions are exempt from audit in Connecticut.
Of course if the vote is close, there will be a recount – but because of the reversal of policy by Secretary of the State, Susan Bysiewicz, we no longer do manual recounts of the paper.
See our Irony #2:
CT Irony #2: The Closest Races Will Never Be Audited
Nor will they ever be hand-counted. Nor will contested races.
Connecticut’s “strongest in the country†post-election audit law exempts races that are recounted or races that are contested from post-election audits. The law does not require that recounts be manual hand-to-eye counts and the Secretary of the State after some hesitation has lifted her requirement that recounts be manual.
And our Myth #1:
Myth #1 – Connecticut has the toughest and strongest audit law in the country because we audit 10%.
Reality
…
- Questions, referendums, and special elections are exempt from audits. Centrally scanned absentee ballots and all hand counted ballots also are exempt from the audits
* An earlier version of our post said the town was Manchester. It is South Windsor. We regret the error.
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