BELLOWS FALLS-A recount of ballots for the Rockingham School District three-year seat added one more vote for each of the candidates, but the results remained: Write-in candidate Christopher Kibbe beat Priscilla Lambert by three votes.
A committee of seven citizens performed the recount March 10 in the Rockingham Town Hall under the watchful eye of Town Clerk Kathleen Kelly. Dennis Harty was elected to chair the group, and the recount took about 90 minutes as Lambert and Kibbe looked on.
The recount committee members were given a handout from the Vermont Secretary of State's Office, "Rule on What Constitutes a Vote." The ballots were brought to the committee in two secure bags and were resealed following the recount.
Kibbe said that he had forgotten to register as a candidate in time, and he immediately started a write-in campaign when he realized his mistake.
In the March 4 voting, the official count had Lambert with 232 votes and Kibbe at 235 write-in votes for a 3-vote margin of victory. Lambert asked for a recount at the urging of her supporters and considering the narrowness of Kibbe's win.
The recount saw each candidate gain one vote, but with Kibbe still winning, 236–233. The few remaining write-in ballots went to a handful of others, including one vote for Donald Duck.
Lambert said she was satisfied with the recount, congratulated Kibbe on his win, and thanked all of the citizens who supported her.
Kibbe said he "appreciated all the people who turned out and voted" and those who helped with his campaign.
In the same election, Lambert also lost a three-year seat on the Union High School board to Virginia Driscoll, 359–142.
This News item by Robert F. Smith was written for The Commons.