Citing concerns about short-staffing and the mishandling of primary ballots, Secretary of State William F. Galvin said Monday he is taking over the elections departments in the Third Congressional District’s two largest cities, as he formally ordered a recount into its hotly contested Democratic primary. The decision to “exercise direct control” in Lawrence and Lowell through the November election injected a new level of intrigue into the unpredictable Third District race, where Dan Koh, a former chief of staff to Mayor Martin J. Walsh of Boston, petitioned for a recount after falling 122 votes short of Lori Trahan in the 10-Democrat field.
The certified tally released Monday showed Trahan, a one-time Capitol Hill chief of staff, topping the field with 18,527 votes, with Koh in second with 18,405 — a margin of roughly 0.14 percent among the 85,591 votes cast for candidates.
In ordering the recount, Galvin said the district’s 37 cities and towns must complete the process by Monday.
Full Article: After issues in Lowell and Lawrence, state says it will oversee elections there through November – The Boston Globe.