By Ted Glanzer
A recount in East Granby on Tuesday yielded the same results: Democrats Dave Kilbon and Mike Maloy won the two open seats on the Board of Finance over their Republican challengers.
Because Malloy and Republican Lee Sandora were only 15 votes apart when the ballots were first counted in the Nov. 5 election, a recount was required by state statute, according to Town Clerk Sheila Bailey.
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Sandora gained two more votes as a result of the recount, bringing his tally to 647. Still, Malloy had 660 votes, while Kilbon had 756. Republican Yvon Lemieux had 618 votes.
“The machines are only as good as the people filling out the ballots,” Bailey said. “Several people filled out their ballots lightly or put a tiny check in the circle. We reviewed the ballots that potentially were not read, pulled them aside and hand counted them."
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In a telephone interview Tuesday, Malloy said that he was excited that he and his fellow Democrat emerged victorious, but that the work ahead for the town requires putting aside party affiliation.
“The goal is to make a better town and build a consensus around the people who supported us,” Malloy said. “It’s not a victory for the Democrats. It’s a victory for East Granby as we continue to deal with the issues we are facing.”Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.