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Thursday, November 16, 2006
Know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Max Burns’ decision not to seek a recount in the 12th District congressional race saves the taxpayers’ money, and therefore speaks well of him. After looking at every possible ballot that might have gone another way, the Republican former congressman decided there was no point in prolonging the outcome.
Personal circumstances may also have come into play – Burns’ father-in-law suffered a heart attack the day after the election and died Tuesday. A recount would be a bothersome distraction under those circumstances.
His decision not to challenge the results that certified Rep. John Barrow the winner also says something about the impact of those much-maligned computer voting machines. For all the questions that swirl around them, the new machines have dramatically speeded up the process of tallying votes and rendered recounts pointless in most cases. There were no hanging chads or butterfly ballots to confuse the issue in the 12th District race. A recount would simply have been a process of running the machines again, and would have taken only a day longer.
