PORTLAND, Maine (AP) A recount in a Maine congressional race that used ranked balloting has begun.
State election officials on Thursday started the recount requested by Republican U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin in the 2nd Congressional District.
The process is projected to take four weeks to complete. That’ll bring it nearly to the date that Democratic Rep.-elect Jared Golden is to be seated.
Poliquin won the first round of votes by about 2,000 votes and believes he should be declared the winner. But the election swung to Golden by about 3,500 votes after two independents were eliminated and their second-choice votes were reassigned.
Poliquin is also asking a judge to nullify the results on constitutional grounds. He wants the judge to declare him winner or order a new election. A ruling’s due next week.
