A rare tie in a race to represent Bucksport on the area’s public school board may be headed to a runoff election in December following several twists and turns this week.
Emily Fitzgerald initially appeared to win the three-year seat on the RSU 25 board against incumbent Keith Kneeland Jr., but a Thursday recount requested by Kneeland determined that the two got the exact same number of votes: 773.
The result is apparently unprecedented for the town, which said Friday that the candidates each have seven days to decide whether to withdraw from the race. Neither said in separate comments Friday that they plan to, setting the stage for a potential runoff election in December.
One seat was up for election this year for the town in the district that includes Bucksport, Orland, Prospect and Verona Island.
Unofficial results Tuesday showed that Fitzgerald won it with 773 votes to Kneeland’s 770. The Thursday evening recount found something different: 773 votes for each candidate and 187 ballots left blank.
That meant one ballot was unaccounted for out of the 1,734 recorded by the town Tuesday. The final ballot was found in a box of state election ballots — but with the school board vote left blank, confirming the tie.
The final town ballot may have gotten mixed in with state ballots because they were both run through the town’s single tabulator machine, Town Manager Jacob Gran said Thursday.
Gran was not sure Thursday what process the town would follow to have the tie broken and a winner declared, but got clarity on the matter Friday from the town’s attorney.
If both candidates choose to stay in the race, state law requires the Town Council to call a runoff election, Gran said Friday.
At least 30 days of absentee voting is required before polls open, meaning a runoff election would likely be held in mid- to late December, according to Gran.
Fitzgerald declined to say Friday whether she intended to stay in the race or withdraw.
Kneeland is “1000% staying in the race,” he said Friday, describing the experience as “a giant roller coaster of emotions.”
He initially was told he won the race on election night, he said, then got a call that those results had not counted absentee ballots. With those added, the race appeared to go to Fitzgerald; he didn’t expect much to change from the recount, but now finds himself gearing up for another election.
“It will all be worth it though if I am lucky enough to end up getting to fight for the kids of RSU 25 for another three years,” he said.
