Not so fast in Hamilton

The town of Hamilton will recount the votes of the May 15 election in favor of a $1,288,322 Proposition 2 ½ override for the Hamilton-Wenham Regional School District.

The override passed by 37 votes.

The vote for Hamilton's share of the $1,889,589 override for the school district was 1,420-1,383. In Wenham, residents supported their town's $601,267 share of the override, 750-500.

Hamilton Town Clerk Jane Wetson confirmed that she would be setting a date for the recount, probably in early June, after certifying the signatures of a recount petition submitted by residents, including members of the Enough is Enough group, which advocated against the override.

Some members of the group had encountered an anomaly with the voting machines, said Enough is Enough member Warren "Bob" Gray, which would initially reject and then accept ballots. However, the primary reason for seeking the recount was the margin, he said.

"We just felt it was close enough that we should double-check," Gray said. "That's basically it. We don't have high expectations, but at least we'll know for sure."

-- David Rattigan