NAHANT — After losing by a mere three votes to competitor Eugene Canty, Board of Selectmen candidate David Walsh said he is considering asking for a recount following Nahant’s town election Saturday.
“I figured it would be a close race, not just because of the Northeastern University issue, but there are other issues in town that need to be addressed,” Walsh said of the 657 to 654 vote. “I can’t say I expected it to be the closest in history.”
He said he plans to deliver a formal letter to the town clerk Thursday, adding that although he normally would not have considered petitioning for a recount, he felt the election’s unprecedented outcome warranted a second look.
“When it’s three (votes) and you’re using a system that isn’t 100 percent perfect, there are certainly possibilities the count could change,” Walsh said.
Pleased with his victory, Canty, who was sworn in Tuesday evening, said he was simply looking forward to starting his three-year term on the board and didn’t have strong feelings about the possibility of a recount.
“It’s an exciting time,” he said. “Growing up, I played a lot of sports, and coaches always tell you, ‘a win is a win.’ That’s kind of how I look at it.”
According to Town Administrator Tony Barletta, recounts must be petitioned by candidates within 10 days of when the vote is certified and require the signatures of 10 registered Nahant voters.
“The potential for a recount doesn’t hold up our process as far as (saying) ‘these are the certified results,'” Barletta said. “If there is a petition submitted, we cross that bridge when we get there.”
Barletta said that despite the race’s close call, he looks forward to working with all the winners of Saturday’s election.
“All candidates for all offices in town ran very well-organized campaigns and experienced somewhat of an awkward campaign season,” he said, referring to the restrictions placed on candidates due to COVID-19 safety measures. “They probably had to change their typical campaign methods because of coronavirus and they all did so elegantly, and I congratulate all of them for running well-done campaigns.”
He added that he was also proud of Nahant’s high voter turnout this election.
“The process on election day went pretty smooth and that was in large part due to the cooperation of the residents,” he said. “I commend them for that as well.”