Massachusetts recount flips state house election to Democrat by one vote

A recount in a political race in Massachusetts has flipped a state house of representatives election from Republican to Democrat by a single vote.

Prior to the recount, Mirra led Kassner by 10 votes out of over 23,000 ballots that were cast in that region during the 8 November midterm election.

The 10-vote deficit was within the legal threshold of a recount. On 30 November, Massachusetts secretary of state Bill Galvin ordered hand recounts in a general area where Mirra held a slim advantage.

After officials recounted the votes in question Thursday, the results emerged as 11,763 to 11,762.

Kassner was ahead by the slightest of margins.

The new results will now go to governor Charlie Baker and a gubernatorial council for review.

In 2020, Massachusetts offered temporary mail-in voting for the first time as a result of pandemic precautions. Earlier this year, lawmakers voted to make permanent mail-in voting and expanded early voting, two measures which Mirra and the rest of the Republican house caucus voted against.

The measures were nevertheless signed into law by Baker this summer.