This news is just in: Republican incumbents Joseph Norton and Doug Piazza, both councilmen in Caldwell, have officially requested a full recount from their close race on November 8th.
Norton and Piazza, according to the vote tallies as of now, lost by only 4 or 5 votes.
Last week, Caldwell Mayor Ann Dassing and Piazza visited the Hall of Records in Newark to personally watch as the board of elections officially opened the provisional ballots. During the official, formal procedure, each commissioner reviewed the ballots for provisional votes before the results were read aloud.
And, in a surprise visit, former Caldwell Mayor Sue Gartland happened to stop in during the proceedings in Newark.
The provisionals offered more votes for each candidate, and also some that were throw out, with the end result still showing only 4 or 5 votes between the Piaza, Norton and Democrat winner John Kelley.
Right afterwards, Dassing and Piazza remained in the special room provided by the Essex County board of elections and carefully perused all the absentee (mail-in) votes.
Now, with the election hanging in the balance, and only a small handful of votes separating the winners and losers in this race, a recount will help determine the results.
And, during any recount of this nature, even 4 or 5 votes can tie or change the results.
Updates to follow.
