The recount of votes cast in the Democratic New Hampshire primary was ended yesterday. About 40 percent of votes were recounted, but Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), who requested the recount on the Democratic side, ran out of funds to get the count completed.

 
Here are some facts about the incomplete Dem recount:
 

  • The recount was conducted for only Hillsborough and Rockingham counties, the most populous counties in New Hampshire. All Hillsborough counties had a recount.

 

  • In Rockingham County, there was no recount in 18 municipalities using the Accuvote technology: Auburn, Deerfield, Exeter, Greenland, Hampton, Hampton Falls, Newfields, Newmarket, North Hampton, Northwood, Nottingham, Portsmouth Wards 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, Rye, Seabrook, and Stratham.

 

  • While there is no total for votes cast by district on the Secretary of State web site, these districts add up to several thousand votes (Portsmouth 5700+, Hampton 5100+). Clinton’s counted total in Rockingham County was 26,708. Obama’s Rockingham County total was 22,044.

 

  • There was no recount in four municipalities that counted ballots by hand: Kensington, New Castle, Newington, and South Hampton. These four municipalities totaled only a few hundred votes for all candidates.

 
The basis for the recount was a statistical anomaly: towns counting ballots by hand came out differently from towns using the Diebold Accuvote op-scan technology. Summarizing one key difference, Hillary Clinton came out better in towns counting by op-scan, and all the other Dems came out better in towns counting by hand.

If I were a delegate to the Democratic National Convention, even a “Super delegate” linked to Hillary Clinton, I would be very, very interested in finding out more about this anomaly. But a recount that does not include all the towns using these two methods is obviously less useful for making a comparison.

There are deeper problems than the limited recount itself. Deeper questions pertain to whether any recount in New Hampshire could be reliable. Bev Harris of Blackboxvoting.org and Brad Friedman of Bradblog have been all over this issue. Lack of protection of chain of custody, firsthand observation of ballot boxes slit open and ‘sealed’ with removable stickers, firsthand observation of the chain of custody problems reveal definable weaknesses undermining the integrity of the election process.

But that even the limited recount also shows some obvious problems is evidence, yet again, that Congress and the states need to muster genuine protections for voters. 

The problem in New Hampshire is not that the Granite State is trying to snooker anybody. As Bev Harris points out,

“We are finding in New Hampshire: the best of the best in MOST situations, but considerable naivete and in some areas, and an alarming and [willful] negligence.

Among the "best of the best" of New Hampshire situations:

(1) Beautiful, community oriented hand counted paper ballots in more than one hundred jurisdictions.

(2) Very democratic and participatory township structure of government, combined with very high level of representation of local areas in the state legislature

(3) Amazing level of responsiveness of public officials. Secretary of State Bill Gardner, for example, answers questions personally and tirelessly from just about everyone. Many, many high level officials perfectly willing to talk with and answer all questions from the public.

(4) Beautiful, participatory 100% hand counted recounts.

(5) Very good public records laws. If they have it in their possession, they let you see it THAT DAY. Along those lines, Paddy Shaffer did a hand written records request today which elicited some very good information. The dream team here is in the process of editing another request as I write this.”

But the massive gaps in protection have to dismay anyone who hoped that the Dem recount would be a genuine recount.

That said, even the limited recount that came about has revealed errors or discrepancies. More on Hillsborough County later.

Meanwhile, a complete recount of all votes cast in the Republican New Hampshire primary began yesterday. Funds for the GOP recount were raised through an Internet drive, largely by supporters of Congressman Ron Paul (R-Tex.).