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Susan Gill had told a City Council candidate that he could pay for a recount, but the state Constitution doesn't mention it.
By RAGHURAM VADAREVU
Published November 5, 2004
CRYSTAL RIVER - When City Council candidate John M. Kostelnick abandoned his call Wednesday for a recount in his narrow loss to incumbent John R. Kendall, he did so believing that a recount would be too costly.
As it turns out, Kostelnick never had an option to get a recount.
Supervisor of Elections Susan Gill said she learned on Thursday from state elections officials that state law does not allow for what is called a "discretionary recount."
Kendall won 803 to 779, a 24-vote difference that represented 1.5 percent of the 1,582 total votes cast in the race. Under state law, an automatic recount would have been triggered if the margin of victory was 0.5 percent - roughly eight votes in the race.
A recount can also be requested if a candidate has proof of voter fraud. Gill had told Kostelnick on Wednesday that a recount could be allowed if the candidate pays for it. She found out that state law doesn't address that option, she said.
If Kostelnick had requested a recount, Gill had also said on Wednesday, the elections staff would have to go back through 35,519 early and absentee ballots cast in the county in search of roughly 840 ballots cast for the Seat 1 council race.
Concluding that it would be too expensive, Kostelnick decided to accept the result. His supporters, he said, would not let him concede so easily and offered to help him pay for a recount that ultimately was never an option.
[Last modified November 5, 2004, 01:24:48]
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