Katz: Tiverton Recall Fueled By 'The Old-School Rumor Mill'

TIVERTON, RI — Tiverton voters recalled both the town council president and vice president on Thursday. More than 1,600 voters came to the polls, the Town Clerk's office said.

The unofficial totals were released just after 9:30 p.m., only an hour and a half after the polls closed. In total, 1,674 residents cast their votes. Thursday night's count is still unofficial, as it has not yet been certified by the Rhode Island Board of Elections.

The results are as follows:

• Shall Robert D. Coulter, Tiverton Town Councilor be recalled?
  • Yes: 1,594
  • No: 75
• Shall Justin D. Katz, Tiverton Town Councilor be recalled?
  • Yes: 1,589
  • No: 80

Katz, the vice president, issued a statement late Thursday night saying the recall was fueled "the old-school rumor mill and toxic social media."

"Today's result says more about our opposition and the times we're living in than about us or our supporters," he said in part. "Toward the end of the campaign, no fewer than five dishonest mailers went to Tiverton homes, three of them from powerful out-of-town special interests. It remains the fact that more people wanted us to represent them than wanted our opposition, and we will continue to represent them in and out of office.

Ahead of the vote, Coulter and Katz asked voters not to show up to the polls, saying the recall was "just plain wrong, and nobody should vote in it." By voting, residents would offer the recall effort validity, they said, setting a "dangerous precedent" for the future of local government should it succeed.

It's possible that many voters heeded Coulter's and Katz's suggestion and stayed home, as only a fraction of registered voters actually turned up at the polls on Thursday. According to Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea's office, there are currently 13,167 registered voters in the town, meaning just under 13 percent cast their votes.

"Our mission all along has been to help change the unsustainable direction of town government, and this experience has clarified our understanding of what needs to be addressed in order to accomplish that goal," Katz continued. "We're excited about what comes next."

Coulter did not immediately respond to Patch's request for comment.