The race between TJ Donovan and Bill Sorrell for the Vermont attorney general primary is in limbo for a few more hours as the Associated Press gathers unofficial results from 13 small towns that did not report vote counts last night.
The Associated Press says with 99 percent of precincts reporting, Sorrell has 20,985 votes; Donovan 20,309. Only three towns have not reported results yet.
Donovan is unlikely to make up the 600 vote difference when the final (and unofficial) results come in today. He is expected to concede the race to Sorrell in a speech at 11:30 a.m.
The Donovan campaign is regrouping this morning to decide on a plan of action. At 11:30 a.m., the Chittenden County state’s attorney is expected to make an announcement in Battery Park, just before the noontime Vermont Democratic Party Unity Rally at Main Street Landing in Burlington.
Amy Shollenberger, an independent consultant who is working for the Donovan campaign, said this morning: “We’re not expecting anything new. We do believe it’s important for all the votes to be counted.”
“I think we ran a great campaign,” Shollenberger said. “We’re pleased that we came so close. I think it’s great to see voters coming out and participating in the primary.”
Jim Condos, the Vermont Secretary of State, said 70 percent of town clerks and city election officials voluntarily posted unofficial election night results on his office’s website last night.
Town clerks have 72 hours to certify the results. The secretary issues official tallies a week after the election.
Condos, however, says he wants to make more unofficial results more quickly to the media and the public in future. In order to make that happen, he says the Legislature would have to make election night reporting mandatory for municipal officials. He plans to bring a provision to that effect to the Statehouse as part of an election housekeeping bill this January.
Follow the most recent developments and check out the blow by blow coverage of last night’s election on VTDigger.org’s live blog.
