Wilton’s 2021 Election Head Moderator Kim Nabulsi can’t remember the last time there was an election recount in town, at least in the past decade and a half that she’s worked at Wilton elections. But with two races from last Tuesday’s (Nov. 2) municipal election showing close results of fewer than 20 votes separating seat winners from defeated candidates, Wilton’s Registrars of Voters held a recanvass all day Monday, Nov. 8 to double check.
The recount did find additional votes for some of the candidates — but nothing that would change the outcome or overturn Tuesday’s results for the Board of Finance or Constable races.
In the Board of Finance (Full Term) race, which saw third-place Sandra Arkell (D) challenged for the third of three seats by fourth-place finisher Mangtao “Monty” Du (R), the narrow 12-vote spread between the two shrank to an even slimmer, 10-vote difference, with Du picking up one of Arkell’s votes. Nonetheless, Arkell hung on to keep the seat.
In the Constable race, all six candidates gunning for five seats picked up additional votes, which closed the gap only slightly from 19 votes to 16 between 5th place Dick Ziegler (D) and 6th place Peter Wrampe (R), leaving Ziegler with the seat.
Both the Democratic and Republican parties accepted the recount tallies.
“We were supportive of the recount, which was automatic when the vote counts were so close. We are not completely surprised by the small, positive change in vote totals,” said Wrampe, who is also the Republican Town Committee chair. “Wilton’s town clerk and registrars are top-notch and handled both the election and the recount at the highest standards. We are encouraged by the overall outcome of the election. It is exciting to see that so many high-quality Row B individuals will now be serving Wilton,” he added.
Tom Dubin, the Democratic Town Committee chair, also commented his approval of the results.
“We are pleased that Sandy Arkell has been confirmed as winning a four-year term to the Board of Finance, which results in a tie between Democrats and Republicans on that Board. Congratulations to Sandy and also to Dick Ziegler on his election as Constable. These results cap a very strong showing for Wilton’s Democrats, with the victories of Deborah Low, Pam Ely, and Nicola Davies giving us a majority on the Board of Education, and with Bas Nabulsi taking one of the two open Board of Selectmen seats. We thank Registrar Karen Birck, Registrar Annalisa Stravato, Moderator Kim Nabulsi, and the many Wilton neighbors who conducted today’s recount so carefully.”