Ballot mixup in Hope puts House candidates in limbo

The outcome of one House race in Knox County remained uncertain Wednesday after 50 ballots were inadvertently locked and sealed in a tamper-proof box before they could be tallied, according to town officials.

As it stands, a mere 10 votes separate Republican Robert Walker and Democrat Peter Misluk in the House District 44 race. Therefore, those 50 uncounted ballots, by law irretrievable by local election workers, could be instrumental in deciding the winner.

The election night problem, said Hope Town Clerk Florance Merrifield, came when election workers became distracted while tallying ballots late Tuesday evening.

“It just goes to show you what can happen when you get interrupted,” said Merrifield, who notified both candidates of the mistake.

The tamper-proof box containing the ballots will be sent to the Secretary of State’s Office. Officials there anticipate that Misluk, who was trailing Walker 2,075 to 2,085, would request an official recount so the 50 ballots could be included in the total.

Misluk could not be reached for comment Wednesday, but Walker said he’s eager to know the outcome of the race.

“There will always be a human element in any election,” said Walker, adding he had complete faith in local and state election officials to resolve the situation. “It’s easy to understand.”