policy
A challenger who initially declared victory against state Rep. Marjorie Decker of Cambridge after Tuesday's primary election has filed a motion for a recount.
Evan MacKay, a graduate student and organizer who challenged Decker within the Democratic primary for Middlesex's twenty fifth District, announced Friday that the “close margin” between the candidates warranted a recount, the campaign's statement said.
The Cambridge Electoral Commission said it might recount the votes but didn’t announce a date or location for the recount, which have to be accomplished by September 14. reported.
“A cornerstone of this campaign has always been that democracy takes place in daylight,” MacKay said in an announcement. “With such a close outcome, voters have a right to know the exact result with certainty and that is why I am requesting a recount, which we hope will be over quickly and provide clarity.”
Confusion on election night in Cambridge
MacKay reportedly announced his victory at a celebration in Cambridge on primary night, saying, “Our movement has won this election.” reported.
The Cambridge Electoral Commission initially released results showing MacKay winning by 3,354 votes and Decker winning by 3,314. The commission then met Wednesday afternoon to review provisional ballots and hand-count about 250 more ballots.
According to unofficial Results On Wednesday, Decker was leading with 3,472 votes, ahead of MacKay with 3,431 votes, a lead of 0.58 percent.
In an announcement on Sunday, Decker thanked the Cambridge Electoral Commission and said: “We have confidence in their ability to count votes.”
“A recount is a tool of the democratic process, so we welcome it and look forward to the outcome,” she said.
The ultimate winner can have no Republican challenger in November, so the results of the recount effectively determines the district's representative to the state legislature.
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