Bedford County Republican Primary Votes To Be Recounted (PA)
WJAC-TV News    19 June 2007

The entire Republican primary election results in Bedford County will be recounted this weekend, officials said Tuesday.

Bedford incumbent Commissioner Mike Shaffer lost the Republican primary by eight votes to Michael Herline. Shaffer later requested a recount of about 20 precincts after voting machine problems, a request Judge Daniel Howsare granted.

Peg Koenig, director of elections in Bedford County, said there was a memory card problem in voting machines on Election Day.

Koenig said the Northern Bedford County School District had a massive write-in campaign that was much larger than expected. She said the memory cards in the e-scan voting machines became so full that the machines spit the ballots out.

She said the recount will be time consuming but even without the voting machine problems she said a recount was needed.

"I really, really wanted it to be a recount from the beginning because it's such a close race," Koenig said. "This equipment is really accurate but, for everyone's satisfaction, I felt that a recount is a good thing."

The recount will begin Saturday at the Bedford County Courthouse. Koenig said she hopes to have the votes recounted in one day but said it may take until next Saturday before Shaffer and Herline find out whose name will be on the ballot for Republican commissioner in November's general election.

Stay with Channel 6 News for continuing coverage.