Second recount doesn’t affect local presidential vote much

Published 8:00 am Friday, December 4, 2020

A second recount of Georgia’s presidential vote, requested by the campaign of President Donald Trump, saw little change in the results locally.

In Whitfield County, the recount left Trump with 25,644 votes, down from 25,666 after the first recount in November, according to Deputy Assistant Election Supervisor Rhonda Franks. President-elect Joe Biden had 10,680 votes, up from 10,667 after the first recount. Libertarian Party candidate Jo Jorgensen lost one vote, falling to 442 from 443.

Whitfield County Board of Elections Chairman Stephen “Sparky” Kelehear said he could not say exactly why the vote totals changed. The first recount was by hand. The second recount was by machine.

“I don’t think it’s the machines,” he said. “There’s probably some human error in there somewhere. But when you are counting approximately 37,000 votes that’s a pretty small percentage.”

The final tally in Murray County had Trump with 12,944 votes, up one from the first recount. Biden had 2,301 votes, down one from the first recount, and Jorgensen had 144 votes, which was unchanged.

“It is not at all unusual for a vote or two to be changed in recounts,” said Murray County Election Superintendent Larry Sampson. “I’ve seen it happen before. Probably due to the human recount I should think.”

Sampson said the first recount cost “over $2,000.” He said he believes the second “will come in a bit over $1,000.”

Kelehear said the cost of the recounts in Whitfield County has not yet been tallied.

Neither election office had the cost of the recounts factored into their budgets, and officials said they expect they will ask their county commissioners for a budget amendment to cover those costs.