Windham election to be monitored by state

CONCORD — The state has announced election monitors in place to watch over the upcoming primary election in three communities, including Windham.

Attorney General John Formella announced that his office and the Secretary of State’s Office have sent letters of appointment for election monitors following election reviews in Windham, Bedford and Laconia Ward 6.

The monitors are Eugene van Loan appointed to Windham; Eric Forcier appointed to Bedford; and Bonnie Winnona MacKinnon appointed for Laconia Ward 6.

In a press release, officials said the appointment of election monitors is authorized by statute when the Attorney General makes a finding that there were significant defects in vote counting or the administration of elections.

The monitors are appointed to work with election officials and review the conduct of the upcoming election to ensure compliance with New Hampshire law.

A recent Windham election review found administrative shortcomings and significant inaccuracies in vote counts due to the processing of incorrectly folded ballots in the November 2020 General Election.

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That conclusion followed an in-depth audit of the Windham election, with weeks of study over the ballots, voting machines and procedures.

The Bedford election review found that election officials inadvertently failed to count 190 absentee ballots in the November 2020 General Election due to misplacing a container of ballots during election day processing.

The Laconia Ward 6 election review found that election officials inadvertently failed to count 179 ballots from 2020 elections that were cast but left in a ballot collection box, as well as some officials double-counting dozens of ballots in the November 2020 general election.

Election monitors are required by law to produce a report within 30 days of the September primary election.

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