The Rhode Island Board of Elections will review recount requests received in four state legislative races on Thursday. (Jocelyn Jackson/Rhode Island Current)
The state elections board received recount requests from losing candidates in four state legislative races by its Tuesday afternoon deadline, one of which has already been disqualified, according to Christopher Hunter, a board spokesperson.
The Rhode Island Board of Elections is slated to consider the requests at its meeting at 9:15 a.m. on Thursday at its Cranston offices. The meeting will also be streamed via the board’s YouTube page . Approved requests authorize the board to conduct a manual re-feeding of ballots into optical scan voting equipment.
The three legislative seats still in question are House Districts 15 and 21 and Senate District 29. The recounts won’t change the power balance of the 113-seat Rhode Island General Assembly, which remains solidly under Democratic control.
Based on preliminary results from the Nov. 5 election — including leading candidates in the races in question — Democrats hold 64 seats in the 75-seat House of Representatives, and 34 of 38 Senate seats.