Editorial: Recounts should be automatic in close races

Assembly Bill 44, authored by current U.S. Rep. Kevin Mullin when he was in the California Legislature, assured that any statewide office or state ballot measure would have a recount paid by the state if the difference in votes was less than 1,000 or 0.00015 of the number of all votes cast. In Santa Clara County, officials have ruled that any local election with under 25 votes difference will have a recount paid for by the county. It only pertains to elections entirely within the county and not state or federal.

There is precedence here for government-financed recounts. While a three-race seems to be fair since two of the three finalists tied in their votes, there is always room for error and thus, there is a reason for recounts.

There is a certain amount of politics in play for this particular recount. One tied candidate said just that, it’s politics. Another said it’s a subversion of the democratic process. The leading candidate is staying out of it and allowing a former staffer to do the lifting. In San Mateo County, former supervisor candidate Dan Stegink took it upon himself to ask for the recount and has asked the county to pay for it.

That’s a good request. It may not be granted in this election, but it’s a good overall request when elections are close. Otherwise, we turn to politics, maneuvering and money to make sure the proper candidates go through. San Mateo County should adopt a similar policy as Santa Clara County, in which local races get an automatic county-funded recount if a vote difference is under 25, or a certain percentage, as a first course of business. And both counties should look to see if that can be expanded to vote counts that reach beyond their geographic boundaries. It may take state legislation to make this possible and, while Mullin is in federal office, there is sure to be a local legislator like Assemblymember Diane Papan, D-San Mateo, or state Sen. Josh Becker, D-Menlo Park, who can take up the good government elections reform policies that Mullin led when he was in state office.

Granted, there is a cost to these recounts as it takes staff time, but they are rare. Besides, it’s important to ensure trust in our elections that does not rely on citizens to take it upon themselves for whatever reason. Without it, we have finger pointing, suspicion and politics, with questions over intentions and who may pay, or who may or may not be repaid and how. It’s a confusing mess that makes everyone look bad. Instead, complete manual recounts in close elections should simply be done as a matter of course with a clear process spelled out for all to see and conducted before an election is certified. After all, counting every ballot to make sure the right person moves forward is an essential part of democracy.