By Nate Jones

Staff Writer 

“Save Our Scarborough” member Fred Kilfoil said he would have been surprised if the Scarborough Village Partnership didn’t request a ballot inspection after their proposal for a racino was narrowly defeated in the Nov. 4 general election. 

“If it lost three to one I don’t think it would make sense,” he said. “I was surprised it was so close.”

Scarborough Town Clerk Tody Justice said a ballot inspection – which costs $865 in various fees – concerning the racino question was performed Monday afternoon. The inspection, which is mostly a presentation of the town’s ballot processing procedures for interested parties, must be done before requesting an official recount of the ballots, she said. 

“They’re not allowed to touch anything, we just show them the ballots,” Justice said. 

Kilfoil said should Scarborough Village decide to take the next step, he would not expect the results of a recount to change the final outcome of the vote.

“At that point I think we’d be asking for a recount,” he said. “You never know, this whole thing has been surprising from beginning to end. A real soap-opera.”

“Save Our Scarborough” member and former city councilor Sue Foley-Ferguson said watching the inspection was a learning experience. 

“It would be an education for everyone,” she said. “It was very, very interesting.”

Foley-Ferguson said she was surprised, however, that Scarborough Village Partner legal counsel Ed MacColl did not inspect more of approximately 300 ballots the ballot polling machines “kicked out” for either being left blank or being inappropriately filled out. In total, more than 5,560 residents voted in favor of the Scarborough Village proposal, but more than 5,800 were opposed to the project. She said she expected the group to request a complete recount by next week.

“For them, $3,000, which is what it’s going to cost them, is just a drop in the bucket,” she said. “I can’t see them not doing it.”

It isn’t the first time Justice has performed an inspection, she said she had performed four different recounts at the request of a town council candidate four times between 1994 and 1998.

“The same individual ran each time,” she said. “It never overturned anything.”

The recount for the Scarborough Village question is different, however, since it was placed on the ballot by a citizen petition. Justice said the Scarborough Village Partners had to file a formal application indicating 100 people who cast a vote in the general election – either by absentee or at the polls – wanted a ballot inspection performed. This is the first time Justice has dealt with a recount of a ballot question inspired by voters, she said.

Should a recount be requested, Foley-Ferguson said she learned the clerk’s office would hand count the results, which would be double-checked at least once. 

After the inspection Scarborough Village Partnership has five days to decide if they want to proceed with a complete recount, making Nov. 24 the deadline for such a request, Justice said. Scarborough Village Partnership spokesperson Gene Beaudoin said the organization was not expected to make a decision in regard to a recount by this week’s Leader deadline, but it was a possibility.

“Let’s get through the inspection,” he said.