January 28, 2003
Potential Recount Crisis
Today's Oregonian story on voter turnout (which I hadn't yet seen this morning) brings to light a potential problem:
And if the election is close enough to require a recount, that could present state officials with a dilemma. Service and benefit cuts to take effect if the measure fails are scheduled to begin Feb. 1, but it could take more than a month to certify the results and conduct a recount.
Theresa McHugh, the state's budget director, said officials would have to decide whether to go ahead with the cuts or to delay them. If the cuts are delayed and the measure ultimately fails, agencies would have to make additional cuts because they've lost another month out of the budget cycle.
An automatic recount is required if the difference between the two sides is within one fifth of 1 percent of the total vote cast.
I suppose the Legislature never bothered to consider this issue because the measure was widely believed to be headed for outright failure, rather than such a close race.