Vote recounts to begin in 19 races

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - The secretary of the state’s office is preparing to recount ballots in 19 New Hampshire races, including one race for a state Senate seat.

Officials will begin recounting ballots Wednesday in races in which candidates met the Friday 5 p.m. deadline for requesting a recount.

Any candidate may request a recount if the difference between winning and losing is 1 percent or less.

The Concord Monitor reports (https://bit.ly/1qvxoK9 ) that the one state Senate recount is for District 7, which includes Andover, Belmont, Boscawen, Canterbury, Franklin, Gilford, Laconia, Northfield, Salisbury and Webster. Incumbent Andrew Hosmer, a Democrat, defeated Kathy Lauer-Rago by 132 votes - a difference of less than 1 percent.

The other 18 recounts are for state representative slots.