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a day ago
- Politics
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When will recount happen in Taunton state rep race with 17-vote margin of victory?
Republican Larry Quintal has collected enough signatures for a districtwide recount in his race against Democrat Lisa Field, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Secretary of State's office said Wednesday. Field beat Quintal in the race for state representative in the 3rd Bristol District by 17 votes, according to official election results. Now, Quintal is seeking a recount. The spokesperson for the secretary of state's office said the election results must be certified by the Massachusetts governor and the Governor's Council before a district wide recount can proceed. The governor and the Governor's Council are expected to certify the election results on Wednesday, June 25, the spokesperson said. The districtwide recount would thus be expected to occur after June 25. The spokesperson said that Easton and Taunton are expected to schedule recounts on different days or different times so that the two municipalities do not hold their recounts simultaneously. Here's what we know. To seek a districtwide recount, Quintal needed to obtain at least 38 signatures of registered voters, a spokesperson for the secretary of state's office said. Quintal appears to have obtained 125 signatures in support of a recount, the spokesperson said. A districtwide recount has a requirement that the margin of victory between the candidates must be "less than 0.5% of the votes cast in that race," a spokesperson for the secretary of state's office said. According to official election results, Field beat Quintal by 17 votes, which puts Field's margin of victory within the margin required for a district wide recount to occur. The spokesperson added that Quintal's "petitions are in apparent conformity with the law" and that the secretary of state's office is moving forward with the process to hold a recount. On election night, Tuesday, June 10, Field declared victory but said Quintal was 'within his rights to ask for a recount.' On election night, Quintal initially called Field to concede the election. He then rescinded his concession and has since indicated he will be seeking a recount. Mark Pacheco, the elections director for the city of Taunton, told the Gazette in an email that "recounts do cost money, of course" and that costs include "a police detail cost, election worker cost, other labor cost, and supply cost." He estimated that a recount would cost "under $5,000 for the City of Taunton." According to the official results from Easton, Field won Easton with 1,033 votes to Quintal's 961 votes. According to the official results from Taunton, Quintal won Taunton with 1,597 votes to Field's 1,542 votes. In total, Field won the election by 17 votes, garnering 2,575 votes to Quintal's 2,558, according to the official election votes from both municipalities. The 3rd Bristol District consists of parts of Taunton and parts of Easton: Easton: Precincts 4A, 5, and 6 Taunton: Ward 1 Precincts A, B, Ward 2, Ward 5, Ward 7 and Ward 8 Lisa Field, a Taunton Democrat, comes from a family of union activists and workers, she told the Gazette. She works as associate director for the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA). Her role involves advocating for legislation for the MNA on beacon hill. Her position as a lobbyist, she said, gives her insight into how the State House works. Field told the Gazette she had been encouraged by her friend, Carol Doherty, to enter state politics, and, upon Doherty's death, wanted to "continue her legacy." "I know what families in Taunton and Easton are going through because I've lived it: family and friends struggling with substance use, and the crushing weight of rising costs of living — even losing my home," Field told the Gazette. Her campaign priorities included increasing government transparency, reviewing state education funding, examining the Department of Public Health's enforcement powers, and addressing potential impacts of federal cuts on veterans services. Quintal, a Republican, is a Taunton city councilor and co-owner/funeral director at Silva Funeral Home on Broadway in Taunton. Quintal won his first term on City Council in November 2021 and his second term in November 2023. He told the Gazette during his state rep campaign he believes his profession prepared him for politics. 'Caring for and putting people first,' and 'listening to people' come naturally to him, he said. With reporting by Daniel Schemer. This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Taunton, Easton election: When is recount in state rep race?
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
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Taunton, Easton elections officials: There are no 'missing' mail-in ballots for state rep
The Republican candidate for state representative in the 3rd Bristol District said he questions "many things" about the election results and is calling for a recount. According to official election results, Democrat Lisa Field has beaten Republican Larry Quintal for the race for state representative in Taunton and Easton by 17 votes. Quintal has indicated he will be seeking a recount. Field declared victory on election night, Tuesday, June 10. In a June 12 Facebook post, Quintal wrote, "I question many things" about the election. He wrote that he is concerned that there were "mail in ballots that were stamped June 10th by the USPS but were delivered on June 11th" and that "they don't want" those ballots "counted." But both the Easton town clerk and the Taunton elections director disputed the idea that mail in ballots that were delivered after 8 p.m. on election day are legally eligible to be counted. The state representative race between Quintal and Field was a special election to fill a vacancy created by the death of incumbent Carol Doherty in February — and under Massachusetts state law, mail-in ballots delivered after the close of the in-person voting cannot be counted as valid ballots in a special election. Here's what we know. According to the Massachusetts secretary of state's website, with the exception of the regular biannual November state election, mail-in ballots must 'reach your local election office or drop box by close of polls on Election Day in order to be counted." (In the biannual November statewide elections, mail in ballots can be received up to three days after election day, according to the secretary of state's website.) This means that mail-in ballots that arrived after 8 p.m. on Tuesday could not be counted in the election results. The Gazette sent questions about mail-in ballots to the city of Taunton and town of Easton. Taunton's elections department issued a written statement about the election results on Thursday, June 12 2025. The written statement cited a Massachusetts law that says that mail in ballots "shall be received by the city or town clerk before the hour fixed for closing the polls." (That law says that the exception to this is biannual November state elections, during which ballots that arrive up to three days after the close of the election day polls can still be counted.) Provisional ballots and overseas ballots could have been counted in the special election between Field and Quintal, according to the written statement. However, in Taunton, "our office does not have any provisional or overseas ballots to be counted," the Taunton elections department said. According to the written statement, 409 mail-in ballots were requested by Taunton voters for the special election, and 327 of those were returned before 8 p.m. on election day, the deadline by which they needed to be delivered in order to be counted. "This leaves 82 ballots that were mailed to voters, but not received by the Elections Department by the close of polls," the written statement said. "It is not unusual to have less than a 100% return rate of Vote by Mail Ballots, in any election. They are not missing, they simply were not received by the Elections Department by the appropriate time to be cast and counted." "Since the close of polls on June 10th at 8 p.m. our office has received 15 late ballots," the press release said. "Per the law, it is too late to count these Vote by Mail Ballots after the close of polls on Election Day. Easton Town Clerk Danielle Sicard told the Gazette in a Thursday, June 12, email that "mail in ballots must be received by 8PM on Election Day to be counted." Sicard said that Easton had two overseas ballots, one confidential ballot, and one ballot that was placed in the "hand count compartment" by the voter and that those four ballots were not counted in the unofficial results but were counted in the official results. (The Easton unofficial results and Easton official results differed by four votes). According to the official results from Easton, Field won Easton with 1,033 votes to Quintal's 961 votes. According to the official results from Taunton, Quintal won Taunton with 1,597 votes to Field's 1,542 votes. In total, Field won the election by 17 votes, garnering 2,575 votes to Quintal's 2,558, according to the official election votes from both municipalities. The 3rd Bristol District consists of parts of Taunton and parts of Easton: Easton: Precincts 4A, 5, and 6 Taunton: Ward 1 Precincts A, B, Ward 2, Ward 5, Ward 7 and Ward 8 Lisa Field, a Taunton Democrat, comes from a family of union activists and workers, she told the Gazette. She works as associate director for the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA). Her role involves advocating for legislation for the MNA on beacon hill. Her position as a lobbyist, she said, gives her insight into how the State House works. Field told the Gazette she had been encouraged by her friend, Carol Doherty, to enter state politics, and, upon Doherty's death, wanted to "continue her legacy." "I know what families in Taunton and Easton are going through because I've lived it: family and friends struggling with substance use, and the crushing weight of rising costs of living — even losing my home," Field told the Gazette. Her campaign priorities included increasing government transparency, reviewing state education funding, examining the Department of Public Health's enforcement powers, and addressing potential impacts of federal cuts on veterans services. Quintal, a Republican, is a Taunton city councilor and co-owner/funeral director at Silva Funeral Home on Broadway in Taunton. Quintal won his first term on City Council in November 2021 and his second term in November 2023. He told the Gazette during his state rep campaign he believes his profession prepared him for politics. 'Caring for and putting people first,' and 'listening to people' come naturally to him, he said. With reporting by Daniel Schemer. This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Taunton, Easton election officials: No 'missing' mail-in ballots
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Taunton official election results: Field holds onto 17-vote lead — Quintal says it's not over
Democrat Lisa Field has beaten Republican Larry Quintal in the race for state representative in the 3rd Bristol District by 17 votes, according to official election results. It's a lower margin of victory compared to the Tuesday night unofficial results from Easton and Taunton, which showed Field winning by 21 votes. But it's not over. Quintal has indicated on Facebook that he will be seeking a recount. On election night, Tuesday, June 10, Field declared victory but said Quintal was 'within his rights to ask for a recount.' The 3rd Bristol is made up of parts of Taunton and parts of Easton. Field and Quintal faced off in a special election on Tuesday, June 10, to fill the seat left vacant by the death of incumbent Carol Doherty in February. Here's what we know about the results and about how a recount would work. On election night on Tuesday, June 10, Quintal initially called Field to concede the election. He then rescinded his concession and has since indicated he will be seeking a recount. A spokesperson for the secretary of state's office said that there are a couple of different types of recounts a campaign could request: A districtwide recount that would recount votes from the entire district; or a ward/precinct recount that would recount votes from specific wards or precincts in Easton or Taunton. To petition for a recount, a campaign would need to obtain some number of signatures of registered voters. The number of signatures would depend on what type of recount is being sought. "A districtwide recount has a lower signature threshold (38 signatures from anywhere in the district), but it takes longer, because the recount cannot be ordered until the Governor and Governor's Council have certified the election results," the spokesperson said. A districtwide recount also has the requirement that the margin of victory between the candidates is "less than 0.5% of the votes cast in that race," the spokesperson added. Field's margin of victory is 17 votes out of a total of 5,163 votes cast, a margin of victory of .3% — which meets the requirement for a districtwide recount. "A ward/precinct-level recount can be conducted no matter the margin, and before final results are certified," the spokesperson said. "For that type of recount, they would need to gather at least 10 signatures in each precinct (for Easton) or ward (for Taunton) that they want recounted. With this type of recount, the candidate may choose to petition for a recount in every ward and precinct in the district, or only in certain wards or precincts." The spokesperson said that when a recount would occur would depend on the type of recount sought. "We will have a better idea of the timeline of the recount after one or both campaigns has submitted recount petitions to the local election officials," the spokesperson said. Quintal wrote on Facebook, "I believe this is definitely the right decision on my part to have a recount." He indicated that he would be seeking signatures for a recall petition at a later date. "I will keep all of you posted when it is time for signatures," Quintal wrote. Mark Pacheco, the elections director for the city of Taunton, told the Gazette in an email that "recounts do cost money, of course" and that costs include "a police detail cost, election worker cost, other labor cost, and supply cost." He estimated that a recount would cost "under $5,000 for the City of Taunton." According to the official results from Easton, Field won Easton with 1,033 votes to Quintal's 961 votes. According to the official results from Taunton, Quintal won Taunton with 1,597 votes to Field's 1,542 votes. In total, Field won the election by 17 votes, garnering 2,575 votes to Quintal's 2,558, according to the official election votes from both municipalities. The 3rd Bristol District consists of parts of Taunton and parts of Easton: Easton: Precincts 4A, 5, and 6 Taunton: Ward 1 Precincts A, B, Ward 2, Ward 5, Ward 7 and Ward 8 Lisa Field, a Taunton Democrat, comes from a family of union activists and workers, she told the Gazette. She works as associate director for the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA). Her role involves advocating for legislation for the MNA on beacon hill. Her position as a lobbyist, she said, gives her insight into how the State House works. Field told the Gazette she had been encouraged by her friend, Carol Doherty, to enter state politics, and, upon Doherty's death, wanted to "continue her legacy." "I know what families in Taunton and Easton are going through because I've lived it: family and friends struggling with substance use, and the crushing weight of rising costs of living — even losing my home," Field told the Gazette. Her campaign priorities included increasing government transparency, reviewing state education funding, examining the Department of Public Health's enforcement powers, and addressing potential impacts of federal cuts on veterans services. Quintal, a Republican, is a Taunton city councilor and co-owner/funeral director at Silva Funeral Home on Broadway in Taunton. Quintal won his first term on City Council in November 2021 and his second term in November 2023. He told the Gazette during his state rep campaign he believes his profession prepared him for politics. 'Caring for and putting people first,' and 'listening to people' come naturally to him, he said. With reporting by Daniel Schemer. This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Taunton official election results: Field wins by 17 votes. Is it over?
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lisa Field declares victory in Taunton state rep race — Larry Quintal calls for recount
TAUNTON — With a razor-thin lead of 21 votes, Democrat Lisa Field claimed victory in her state representative race against Republican Larry Quintal at approximately 9 p.m. on election night on Tuesday — but Quintal has not conceded and said he will be seeking a recount. "The good news is that we won," Field said at her post-election party at the Ward 5 Club in Taunton. "It was only by 21 votes so it was within the margin of error." Larry Quintal will not be conceding the race, he told the Gazette, and will instead be seeking a recount. Voters from Taunton and Easton turned out at the polls on June 10 for a special election to choose who would replace former 3rd Bristol District State Representative, Carol Doherty. Doherty, a Taunton Democrat, was 82 when she died on Feb. 15 this year from pancreatic cancer. According to unofficial election results from Easton, Field won 1,032 votes while Quintal won 958 votes, giving Field a 74 point lead in Easton. Lisa Field won 1,542 votes in Taunton, while Larry Quintal won 1,595 votes, giving Quintal a 53 point lead in Taunton, according to unofficial results from the City's website. That was not enough to overcome Field's lead of 74 votes in Easton, making for a combined lead of 21 votes for Field. "I appreciate everything that everyone did," Field said, thanking her supporters at her victory speech at the Ward 5 Club. "It was thousands and thousands of doors that we knocked," she added. 3rd Bristol District, consists of parts of Taunton and parts of Easton. Specifically, the district consists of Precincts 4A, 5, and 6 in the south-west part of Easton, and Ward 1 Precincts A, B, Ward 2, Ward 5, Ward 7 and Ward 8 in the west side of Taunton. Quintal, a Republican, is a Taunton City Councilor and is co-owner/funeral director at Silva Funeral Home on Broadway in Taunton. Quintal won his first term on City Council in November 2021 and his second term in November 2023. He told the Gazette during his State Rep. campaign he believes his profession prepared him for politics. 'Caring for and putting people first,' and 'listening to people' come naturally to him, he said. Quintal also stated he is a small-business owner, not a lobbyist, and has no vested or special interests other than to help his community. On why he decided to run for State Rep., Quintal told the Gazette, 'I'm not doing this for fame and fortune. I feel I have a proven track record on the local level, and I feel I can get more done and help more on the state level." Quintal's campaign priorities have been to increase state aid to his district, improve affordability for residents by decreasing taxes and finding ways to reduce utility bills, and addressing the state's costly housing of migrants by amending the Right-to-Shelter Law. Lisa Field, a Taunton Democrat, comes from a family of union activists and workers, she told the Gazette. She works as associate director for the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA). Her role involves advocating for legislation for the MNA on beacon hill. Her position, she said, gives her insight into how the State House works. Field told the Gazette she had been encouraged by her friend, Carol Doherty, to enter state politics, and, upon her death, wanted to "continue her legacy." "I know what families in Taunton and Easton are going through because I've lived it: family and friends struggling with substance use, and the crushing weight of rising costs of living — even losing my home," Field told the Gazette. Her campaign priorities included increasing government transparency, reviewing state education funding, examining the Department of Public Health's enforcement powers, and addressing potential impacts of federal cuts on veterans' services. In June 2020 Doherty won the special election to fill the 3rd Bristol District State Rep. seat that had been vacated by Republican Shaunna O'Connell when she resigned to become mayor of Taunton. Later that year, in November, she won reelection for a full-term. For both those elections Doherty's opponent was Republican Kelly Dooner, who would go on in 2022 to become a City Councilor for Taunton, and eventual State Senator when she won the seat in November 2024. Doherty would win the 3rd Bristol District seat 2 more times before her passing. Before her political career Doherty, a retired educator, worked both as a teacher and guidance counselor at Bennett Elementary School, and then, later on, as director of professional development for the School of Education at Northeastern University for 18 years. She also served two consecutive terms as president of the Massachusetts Teacher Association, as well as five terms on the Taunton School Committee. In April of this year, the Taunton School Committee voted on and approved renaming a building located at 66 Summer St. to the Carol A. Doherty Professional Learning Center. The building will be used by Taunton Public Schools as a professional development center. With additional reporting from Emma Rindlisbacher and Rebecca Hyman This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Democrat Lisa Field declares victory in Taunton state rep race
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Taunton and Easton state representative primary results: 60-second read
Democrat Lisa Field and Republican Larry Quintal both won their respective primaries in the special election to replace Carol Doherty in the Massachusetts State House, according to unofficial election results from Easton and Taunton. Lisa Field and Larry Quintal were the only two candidates who filed paperwork to appear on the ballot, which means each ran unopposed in their respective primaries. The primary election was held on Tuesday, May 13. They will now face each other in a general election on Tuesday, June 10. Doherty, a Taunton Democrat who died on Feb. 15 of pancreatic cancer, represented the 3rd Bristol District, which consists of part of Taunton and part of Easton. Specifically, the district consists of Precincts 4A, 5, and 6 in the south-west part of Easton, and Ward 1 Precincts A, B, Ward 2, Ward 5, Ward 7 and Ward 8 in the west side of Taunton. A special election to fill the seat was announced on March 10. Lisa Field received 463 votes in the Democratic primary: 367 votes in Taunton and 96 votes in Easton, according to unofficial election results. Republican Larry Quintal received 267 votes in the Republican primary: 227 votes in Taunton and 40 votes in Easton. There were a very small number of write in votes and blank votes in both Taunton and Easton. Quintal, a Republican, is a Taunton City Councilor and co-owner of Silva Funeral Home. Holly Robichaud, a campaign spokesperson for Quintal, sent the Gazette a written statement describing the issues he would raise on the campaign trail. "Our state is facing many serious challenges including soaring energy bills, a costly migrant influx, the need for more aid for communities, and a lower tax burden," Quintal said in the written statement. "Taunton and Easton need a State Representative who will fight for them, not the special interests. Having served on the Taunton City Council and being a small business owner, I have the proven track record people know that they can trust." "Right now, families are being clobbered by soaring energy costs. We need more natural gas in Massachusetts. I will work to make that happen," Quintal said. "Our state has spent over $2 billion to house the migrants and now MassHealth is starting to surge to pay for the migrants. I will support amending the Right to Shelter law to limit taxpayer funded benefits to our legal residents. I believe the money spent on the migrant crisis would have been better spent by sending more local aid back to the communities to lower the property tax burden." Field is a Taunton Democrat who works for the Massachusetts Nurses Association as an associate director of legislative affairs. Italo Fini, a consultant for Field, sent the Gazette a written statement regarding Field. "My dear friend Carol Doherty was a true public servant. She left behind a legacy for us to build upon and I plan to do exactly that," Field said in a written statement. "I know what families in Taunton and Easton are going through because I've lived it: family and friends struggling with substance-use, and the crushing weight of rising costs of living — even losing my home," Field said. "My faith, family, and close friends are what got me through it and I know that together we can overcome anything." "While many politicians are in it for personal gain, I'm running for State Representative to make sure everyday families have someone in their corner," she said. With reporting by Daniel Schemer. This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Taunton and Easton state representative primary election results
