Keep Checking

The (re)counting will begin tomorrow, so check back for updates.

The Count, however, will be in an undisclosed location with Speaker John Perzel until Thursday. Another Inquirer staffer will be blogging in her place.

In the meantime, here's some news from Inquirer pro Natalie Pompilio:

Democrats today filed a last-minute appeal in an effort to stop a manual vote recount of Nov. 7 election results that will determine which party takes a crucial Chester County statehouse seat.

But the Commonwealth Court quickly denied the appeal and ordered the Department of Voter Services to conduct and complete a hand recount no later than 5 p.m. on Dec. 26.

In their appeal, the Democrats argued that a manual recount - scheduled for tomorrow - could delay the outcome of the race and mean the 156th legislative district would be unrepresented when the House goes into session Jan. 2, according to the appeal filed in Commonwealth Court. However, the court's Dec. 26 deadline is designed to avoid that from happening.

Only 23 votes now separate leading vote-getter Barbara McIlvaine Smith, a Democrat, from Republican Shannon Royer - a difference of one-tenth of 1 percent. Whichever candidate finally wins the West Chester area seat will give his or her party a 102-101 edge in the House.

Bill Patton, spokesman for the House Democratic Campaign Committee, said Democrats sought a machine to retally the votes because "a recount should be done in the quickest most efficient, most accurate way possible."