13-member panel created to study recount process

AUGUSTA — Secretary of State G. William Diamond announced Thursday the formation of a special 13-member commission to study election and recount procedures in light of a ballot tampering case that has put all recounts on hold.

“We want the commission to look at the whole recount procedure and the kind of security there is or isn’t,” said Diamond.

Also, the Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices scheduled a hearing for Monday, Jan. 25, to consider appeals of two recounts in House Districts 101 and 82.

Those two recounts have not been included in a criminal investigation into alleged ballot tampering, despite Republican pleas to have them included.

Marilyn Canavan, director of the ethics commission, said the hearing would not touch on any allegations of ballot tampering. The District 101 race between Rep. Sumner Jones, R-Pittsfield, and Democrat Louise Townsend of Canaan will be considered at 9 a.m. The District 82 race between Rep. Rita Melendy, D-Rockland, and Republican Clayton Fowlie of Rockland, will be considered at 1 p.m.

Rep. Sumner Lipman, R-Augusta, submitted a petition to the ethics commission on Jan. 4 asking for a separate ballot tampering investigation in House Districts 82, 101, 73 and 35.

That request so far has been put on hold until after the criminal investigation by the attorney general and U.S. attorney into alleged tampering in Districts 38, 35 and 73.

Canavan said the ethics commission could decide on Jan. 25 whether to grant Lipman’s request for a separate investigation.

Diamond said his election commission would hold its first meeting at 1 p.m. Friday, Jan. 15, at the Secretary of State’s Office at the Nash School in Augusta.

“The charge of the commission will be to review the electoral process of the state of Maine and recommend any necessary and/or desirable changes in that system in order to ensure a secure and honest electoral process,” said Diamond.

The group is to submit its recommendations and any suggested legislation by the end of March.

Co-chairmen of the commission are Jane Durgin, former Portland city clerk, and Peter Jacobs, a Portland lawyer.

The remaining members are Gerry Berube, city clerk in Lewiston; Sen. Richard Carey, D-Belgrade, Senate chairman of the Legal Affairs Committee; Robert Cleaves, attorney for the Maine Republican Party; Lorraine Fleury, director of elections, State Department; Marion Holshouser, president, Maine Chapter of the League of Women Voters; Catharine Lebowitz, former Republican legislator from Bangor; Russell McKenna, city clerk in Bangor; David Perkins, attorney for the Maine Democratic Party; Rep. Albert Stevens, R-Sabattus; Janet Waldron, assistant secretary of state; and Edwin Pert, former clerk of the Maine House.