Controversy swirls in Windham over company chosen for November election results audit
The outward suburban calm of Windham is being roiled by online controversy over the select board’s choice for an audit of the town’s November election results.After a hand recount by the Secretary of State’s office of a race for state representative, vote totals fluctuated wildly, with a quartet of Republican candidates adding around 300 votes each and one Democratic candidate losing 99 votes.That massive swing prompted bipartisan action from the Legislature, which fast-tracked a special forensic audit. Windham selectmen recently approved Verified Voting, a Philadelphia-based company, as its representative for the audit. But, now supporters of former President Donald Trump have raised questions about that company because it has signed on to efforts to halt vote audits and recounts in Arizona inspired in part by Trump’s accusations of widespread, coordinated election fraud for which there is no evidence. On Monday, protestors swarmed Windham Town Hall to voice their concerns over the decision. A crowd of about 100 showed up. The meeting was eventually paused and moved to the high school to accommodate everyone.“It doesn’t look like they can do the job we want them to do on our election thing,” Windham selectman Bruce Breton said.Breton filed a motion asking his colleagues to reconsider the town’s selection of Verified Voting, but the motion did not have enough votes to move forward.Breton said Trump himself is paying attention to Windham.“Corey Lewandowski has been keeping him updated, and he’s been asking about it for a long time,” Breton said. “So, hopefully, we’ll get an answer for the people, we’ll get an answer for him.”The selectmen that chose Verified Voting said auditors must begin from the standpoint that the 2020 election was free and fair.“Anyone who’s coming into this looking for fraud and expecting fraud and arguing that parts of the process are inherently fraudulent is already setting themselves up such that they are looking for an end result,” Windham selectman Ross McLeod said.Either way, the tremendous vote discrepancies remain, and people across the political spectrum are eager for the audit to move forward.“We will get a very thorough analysis and comparison of how the machines compare to each other, how consistent they are and then how that’s going to compare with the hand count,” said Kristi St. Laurent, a Democratic candidate for State Representative in 2020. On Monday, the Attorney General and Secretary of State announced their designee to the audit team: Harri Hursti, a computer programmer from Finland. Hursti and Verified Voting will now select a third member of the team.>> MORE FROM WMUR: Prosecutor’s tried to secure dangerousness certificate before release of man accused of sexual assault
The outward suburban calm of Windham is being roiled by online controversy over the select board’s choice for an audit of the town’s November election results.
After a hand recount by the Secretary of State’s office of a race for state representative, vote totals fluctuated wildly, with a quartet of Republican candidates adding around 300 votes each and one Democratic candidate losing 99 votes.
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That massive swing prompted bipartisan action from the Legislature, which fast-tracked a special forensic audit. Windham selectmen recently approved Verified Voting, a Philadelphia-based company, as its representative for the audit.
But, now supporters of former President Donald Trump have raised questions about that company because it has signed on to efforts to halt vote audits and recounts in Arizona inspired in part by Trump’s accusations of widespread, coordinated election fraud for which there is no evidence.
On Monday, protestors swarmed Windham Town Hall to voice their concerns over the decision. A crowd of about 100 showed up. The meeting was eventually paused and moved to the high school to accommodate everyone.
“It doesn’t look like they can do the job we want them to do on our election thing,” Windham selectman Bruce Breton said.
Breton filed a motion asking his colleagues to reconsider the town’s selection of Verified Voting, but the motion did not have enough votes to move forward.
Breton said Trump himself is paying attention to Windham.
“Corey Lewandowski has been keeping him updated, and he’s been asking about it for a long time,” Breton said. “So, hopefully, we’ll get an answer for the people, we’ll get an answer for him.”
The selectmen that chose Verified Voting said auditors must begin from the standpoint that the 2020 election was free and fair.
“Anyone who’s coming into this looking for fraud and expecting fraud and arguing that parts of the process are inherently fraudulent is already setting themselves up such that they are looking for an end result,” Windham selectman Ross McLeod said.
Either way, the tremendous vote discrepancies remain, and people across the political spectrum are eager for the audit to move forward.
“We will get a very thorough analysis and comparison of how the machines compare to each other, how consistent they are and then how that’s going to compare with the hand count,” said Kristi St. Laurent, a Democratic candidate for State Representative in 2020.
On Monday, the Attorney General and Secretary of State announced their designee to the audit team: Harri Hursti, a computer programmer from Finland. Hursti and Verified Voting will now select a third member of the team.
>> MORE FROM WMUR: Prosecutor’s tried to secure dangerousness certificate before release of man accused of sexual assault
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