When there is national news about recounts—ahem, Florida—New Hampshire tends to see an increase in such requests. In 2000, the year of Florida's hanging chads, the Granite State had 28. This year, there are 20.
And Secretary of State Bill Gardner says that’s a typical number after an election, and
the state’s paper ballots are recounted by hand.
“It's very easy to have a recount and the recounts are helpful because I have always done recounts by hand so that the candidates get to actually see the ballots and we have ballots unlike a number of states that have voting machines without paper trail,” Gardner says.
“We have ballots and candidates accept defeat much easier after they have seen why they lost - look at the ballots and actually see the marks on the ballots.”
There are a lot of close races in New Hampshire. Every election cycle there is bound to be one race in which a candidate requesting a recount realizes victory.
Earlier this week, Donna Mombourquette, a Democrat from New Boston, enjoyed such a win. She’s now a Representative-elect.
