Recount possible for 4th Pa. Superior Court seat

HARRISBURG - A recount for a tight Pennsylvania Superior Court election could begin Monday, but a waiver of the right to a recount by one more candidate could stop the expensive process, state officials said yesterday. A recount could cost taxpayers as much as $1.3 million, according to the Department of State.

Voters last week were to choose four Superior Court judges. A tally released last night based on unofficial returns from all 67 counties showed Judy Olson, Sallie Mundy, and Paula Ott got the three highest vote totals. They are elected.

The race for the fourth seat, however, was close, with Anne Lazarus leading three other candidates who trailed her by less than half of 1 percent.

A recount is automatic under Pennsylvania law unless all three trailing candidates give up that right. Two of the trailing candidates, Robert Colville and Kevin Francis McCarthy, have indicated that they would waive a recount if the others do as well. The remaining candidate, Temp Smith, could not be reached last night. The Department of State said a total of 6,314,250 votes were cast. Lazarus received 723,954 votes; Colville, 721,948; Smith, 720,624, and McCarthy, 711,240. - AP