Results Potentially Changed in Lawrence School Board Race

Tova Plaut now has an apparent lead against Jesse Lunin-Pack in the race for a Lawrence Board of Education seat after a machine recount.

The recount was conducted after the district said there was a discrepancy in the race Tuesday night. The Nassau Board of Elections conducted the recount and was watched by all three campaigns.

Plaut now has a 37 vote lead against Lunin-Pack, who on Tuesday was ahead by hundreds of votes.

“This is a very narrow margin. We are currently waiting for a count of how many absentee and provisional paper ballots were cast,” Lunin-Pack said on his Facebook page. “That being said, we need to recognize that there is a very real chance that my victory will be overturned, and Tova Plaut will be declared the winner.”

The statement continues, “I promise you that I will exercise all of my legal rights to make sure that every vote is counted. And I will also insist on a full investigation as to what happened that led us to this point. I do believe that the board and its members are acting in good faith in trying to determine the actual winner of the vote. While the vote count did change, neither I nor my representatives have seen any evidence of foul play at any time.

“I know how happy so many of you were to learn of my victory, and how upset and potentially angry you will be if the result it changed. Trust me when I tell you that whatever you are feeling, I am feeling it ten times over. I urge you to let the legal process play itself out. If there is evidence of impropriety, I assure you I will litigate my case vigorously. However, if it turns out that someone made a human mistake during the initial count, and that Tova won fair and square, then we are going to have to accept that. We fought a good fight, but we may have lost.”