State-wide Primary Recount Begins Today

The Bucks County Board of Elections will begin its recount of ballots cast in the Democratic primary for Judge of the Commonwealth Court today at the in Doylestown. 

The recount ordered by the Secretary of the Commonwealth Carol Aichele will decide the winner of the municipal primary between Barbara Behrend Ernsberger and Katherine Boockvar.  

The race between the two woman has been characterized as "hotly contested" in recent published reports. 

Unofficial results reported by the The Department of State (DOS) have Boockvar, an attorney from Doylestown, leading the Pittsburgh lawyer, Ernsberger, 311,624 to 309,508 votes. 

According to state law, the margin of 2,116 votes, with a total of 621,132 cast in the primary, triggered the state-wide canvass because it is less than a one-half of one percent lead for Boockvar. 

Ernsberger refused to waive her right to a recount, telling Philly.com, "There can be mistakes in counting, and this recognizes a race this close should be recounted."

Bookvar is "confident," she'll win and thought a recount with her lead "is a burden on election officials and  taxpayers," according to Philly.com.

According to DOS documents, the cost of the last recount in 2009 to the commonwealth was $542,000. 

Aichele in a statement said, "There is nothing more important to our system of government than a transparent election process in which our citizens have confidence..."  

The 67 counties in the state must start recounts by June 1 and be completed by June 7 .

County board of elections  have until noon, June 8, to submit results to the Secretary of the Commonwealth. Once they are received, the final outcome of the election will be announced by Aichele. 

The winner will face Republican nominee Anne E. Covey of New Hope in the November general election.