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Rep. Molly White to request recount of ballots

Rep. Molly White to request recount of ballots
Posted at 5:58 PM, Mar 02, 2016
and last updated 2016-03-02 19:03:00-05

State Rep. Molly White (R-55), who lost the General Republican Primary by a small margin on Tuesday, announced on Wednesday she will request a recount. 

Her opponent, Hugh Shine, who received 50.38 percent of the vote, won by 118 votes.

"After prayer and conversations with my team and supporters we have decided to request a recount of the ballots cast in House District 55. We are at peace regardless of the results. There were 19,060 votes cast and current returns show us coming short by only 118 votes. Ensuring fairness and accuracy with this election is essential for our community," White wrote on her official Facebook page.

Shine sent out the following statement in response to White's decision: "The foundation of this country is built on the freedom of choice. Any candidate who finishes second and falls within the state's threshold requirement can request and pay for a recount. Very, very few recounts result in a changed outcome. Generally a margin of 1/10 of 1% is required to have a recount possibly change a result. Our margin of victory is more than six times that margin currently. I am honored to receive the support of a majority of Bell County voters, who chose honesty, experience, integrity and true fiscal responsibility to represent them in Austin. We are confident the vote will again confirm my nomination as the State Representative for House District 55. I am eager to get to work for the citizens of the district."

According to the Secretary of State's guidelines, White can ask for a recount because the margin of victory was less than 10 percent of Shine's total of 9,589 votes. It’s unclear how much that recount will cost, but White has to pay for it, according to the guidelines.

As of 6 p.m. on Wednesday night, the Bell County Republican Party Chairwoman Nancy Boston had not been contacted regarding a recount. She said candidates have until March 14 at 5 p.m. to request a recount, which is two working days after the final canvass on March 10.

Pattrik Simmons contributed to this story.

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