Easthampton to hold recount of override vote on July 2

Voters lined up outside of City Hall and the polls at Easthampton High School to express support both ways for the city’s Special Election override vote, which ended up passing by a 3,312-3,073 vote. A recount has been scheduled for July 2.
Reminder Publishing file photo

EASTHAMPTON — The story of Easthampton’s fiscal year 2027 budget season is still not fully told yet.

On June 26, the city’s Board of Registrars unanimously agreed to hold a recount of the $6.9 million override vote at noon on July 2 inside City Council Chambers at 50 Payson Ave.

The board’s decision came after a formal effort by members of the Easthampton Active Citizens and Easthampton Republican Committee to trigger a recount was successful. Petitioners gathered at least 10 signatures from registered voters in each of the city’s five precincts, which is required by Mass. General Law for a recount to happen in communities that have precincts and more than 2,500 voters.

“We’re making history here, people,” said Board of Registrars member Jackie Brousseau-Pereira following the board’s vote of the July 2 recount date.

Easthampton voters approved of a $6.9 million override during a special city election on June 9 by a tally of 3,312-3,073, but days after that election, Republican Committee Chair Cathy Wauczinski said claims were made that various residents received empty mail-in ballots or didn’t receive any at all leading up to election day.

Wauczinski, who spearheaded the “Vote no” campaign and the effort to collect signatures that triggered a recount, argued that a recount was necessary to make sure the voting process is fundamentally sound and for transparency in the election process.

“I think the biggest reason for the recount is the fact that there are people who are eligible voters who did not get an opportunity to vote. These individuals raised a concern with me, saying ‘I have no idea if my vote was counted or not,’” said Wauczinski. “Was anybody denied the opportunity to vote?”

City Clerk Mary Ann Giza confirmed to Reminder Publishing that there was an error on the city’s part where some mail-in ballots sent out did not include the ballot itself. She said about nine total residents called the clerk’s office to report empty envelopes, and those claims were indeed validated. She added that all residents who called to report they were sent an empty envelope were then sent a new mail-in ballot leading to the special election, which is what the process calls for.

For those who claim they never received any ballot, Giza said that may be because each new year, voters must once again sign up to receive the mail-in ballot.

Giza said the clerk’s office must account for every mailed ballot through a state computer system, the date it was sent and if it was received. If a person claimed they did not receive a ballot, then that is also accounted for, and a new one is sent out to the voter.

Giza said the clerk’s office sent a new ballot to all the voters who reported empty envelopes. The errors that did occur on the city’s end have already been reported to the state, according to Giza.

The reason why the recount is happening on July 2 is because the city needs to give at least three days’ written notice before the recount can occur, according to Mass. General Law. Giza said during the June 26 vote that there will be 10 teams of two election workers counting and reading the ballots with the help of the Board of Registrars, and the recount should take about four to six hours.

The public will be allowed to witness the recount inside City Council Chambers, but there may be a barrier and a certain distance they will need to stand. Representatives from the city and those who petitioned for the recount will be spectators on that day.

The Board of Registrars vote happened two days after the City Council approved the city’s $65.3 million budget with the successful override accounted for. According to previous Reminder Publishing reporting, 47% of Easthampton voters came to the polls on June 9.

It is estimated that there will be an annual increase of about $1,200 to the average Easthampton home, which is valued at $418,000, because of the override. However, the city avoided major cuts with the override, including 35 positions in the school district.

Reminder Publishing will have more on this situation in the next edition.