CONCORD, N.H. - New Hampshire officials agreed yesterday to conduct complete hand recounts of Tuesday's Democratic and Republican presidential primaries.
Representative Dennis Kucinich, who received less than 2 percent of the Democratic vote, and Albert Howard of Michigan, who received about 40 votes in the GOP primary, each paid a $2,000 fee to start the process, officials said.
Both candidates agreed in writing to pay the full cost of the recounts, Secretary of State William Gardner said. Both could back out when they get the estimates, expected next week. Deputy Secretary of State David Scanlan said recounts could start Wednesday.
Kucinich cited "serious and credible reports, allegations and rumors" in requesting the Democratic recount. Howard did not explain his request. In a letter Thursday, Kucinich said he does not expect significant changes in his vote total, but wants assurance that "100 percent of the voters had 100 percent of their votes counted." Kucinich alluded to online reports alleging disparities around the state between hand-counted ballots, which tended to favor Barack Obama, and machine-counted ones that tended to favor Hillary Clinton, who narrowly defeated Obama.
Scanlan said he is confident recounts will verify the accuracy of the results. He said his office had received several phone calls since Tuesday questioning the results.
