UPDATE: The Baltimore Sun had this follow-up article today, but they quote the BOE saying the recount trigger is 2% rather than .1% (one tenth of one percent). That is a major difference. Hopefully a reader can explain? Secondly, the comments section to the Sun article, had a fascinating entry from someone purporting to be the former District 13 Councilmember Vernon Crider. Is he alleging impropriety in the voting results? His note, which references his own loss in 2007, reads:
A source with a direct line into the ongoing tallies at the Board of Elections reports fresh numbers in the District 13 race for Baltimore City Council. The news is not good for Shannon Sneed.
At this point in the absentee canvass, the incumbent Mr. Branch has picked up roughly 19 votes to Sneed's 4. If accurate, this would double Mr. Branch's prior 15-vote lead to roughly 30. When the numbers are released, I suspect they will likely put the race far outside of the range for a free recount. The question will now shift to whether Ms. Sneed has the desire to fundraise or bankroll a recount.
One source tell us that Ms. Sneed was winning in the Early Vote canvass, so they found these absentee numbers surprising. But the windows for preemptively questioning votes or increasing your margin are closing. We are also told that Mr. Branch congratulated Ms. Sneed today for a race well-fought (read: sounds like he thinks the race is over for her).
Is this story coming to an end?
As a former city councilman for the 13th district, this is "deja vu" all over again. Mr. Branch defeated me in 2007 after abseetee ballots were counted only by 51 votes. It is quite uncanny that this scenario will reappear. Im no longer involved in politics, but it is quite strange that this will reoccur with Mr. Branch. Too strange...Late last night we reported on news of a potential recount in Baltimore City's District 13 Council race. The 15-vote margin separating incumbent Councilmember Warren Branch from challenger Shannon Sneed led to recount preparations from the campaigns' operatives. Note, for example, that Mr. Branch arrived at the Board of Elections for this morning's absentee canvass with a lawyer in tow. In our prior coverage, we explain some of Maryland's recount laws and procedures, but now we are essentially waiting to see if the 15-vote margin narrows to within .1% of the total vote (ie: currently 4 votes).
Go Mrs. Sneed! The people of the 13th are pulling for you!!
Posted by: vernon crider
A source with a direct line into the ongoing tallies at the Board of Elections reports fresh numbers in the District 13 race for Baltimore City Council. The news is not good for Shannon Sneed.
At this point in the absentee canvass, the incumbent Mr. Branch has picked up roughly 19 votes to Sneed's 4. If accurate, this would double Mr. Branch's prior 15-vote lead to roughly 30. When the numbers are released, I suspect they will likely put the race far outside of the range for a free recount. The question will now shift to whether Ms. Sneed has the desire to fundraise or bankroll a recount.
One source tell us that Ms. Sneed was winning in the Early Vote canvass, so they found these absentee numbers surprising. But the windows for preemptively questioning votes or increasing your margin are closing. We are also told that Mr. Branch congratulated Ms. Sneed today for a race well-fought (read: sounds like he thinks the race is over for her).
Is this story coming to an end?
Looks like the demographics of absentee voters are skewing the way that they typically skew (older people, slightly more likely to vote for the incumbent.) We'll see.
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