A Republican primary candidate for state Senate, Kari MacRae, says she plans to file a lawsuit — probably by Friday — to contest the counting of mail-in ballots.
MacRae ran against state Rep. Mathew Muratore in the Sept. 3 primary in a Senate district that includes the Upper Cape and part of Plymouth County.
She alleges that election officials in the town of Plymouth counted ballots with unsigned envelopes, did not verify signatures, and failed to stamp some of the ballots to show when they were received.
“Some of the ballot envelopes for the mail-in ballots did not have signatures on them, and those votes were cast,” she said. “In the town of Plymouth, they told us very, very openly … that you don't have to verify the signatures — that verifying the signatures is like a guidance, but it's not something that has to be done. And that's not the case.”
CAI contacted the Plymouth town clerk and town communications staff, but town officials did not provide a comment in time for this story.
Initial election results showed Muratore winning by 45 votes. MacRae asked for a recount. After the recount, results from the secretary of state’s office showed Muratore winning by 39 votes.
MacRae said at least 75 Plymouth ballots could be affected by her lawsuit.
Towns that comprise the Plymouth and Barnstable District are Bourne, Falmouth, Mashpee, and Sandwich, in Barnstable County; and Kingston, Pembroke, Plymouth, and Plympton, in Plymouth County.
Plymouth is MacRae’s main focus for the lawsuit, but she said she also wants to look at mail-in ballots across the district.
She said that once the legal process has played out, she will accept the result.
“We are completely fine with that. And I will completely support Matt Muratore … to finish out the rest of the race,” she said.
Muratore declared victory in the primary, which he called “safe, smooth, and secure.”
He said his focus now is on the general election.
The primary winner will face state Rep. Dylan Fernandes, a Democrat, in the general election Nov. 5.
