Secretary of State William M. Gardner announced today that Albert Howard, a candidate for nomination for the office of President of the United States in the Republican Party Primary has requested a recount of all ballots cast statewide. Mr. Howard has satisfied the requirements for initiating a statewide recount of the Republican Primary.

Secretary of State William M. Gardner will estimate the cost of the recount, which must be paid by the candidate for the recount to proceed.

Secretary of State Gardner announced that the recount will start Wednesday, January 16, 2008. The time and location for the start of the recount process will be announced after the estimate has been completed and payment of the estimated cost has been received.

New Hampshire law, RSA 660:7, provides that “any person for whom a vote was cast for any nomination of any party at a state or presidential primary may apply for a recount.” RSA 660:2, IV provides that if the difference between the vote cast for the applying candidate and a candidate declared elected shall be greater than 3 percent of the total votes cast in the towns which comprise the office to be recounted, the candidate shall pay the fees provided in RSA 660:2, III and shall agree in writing with the secretary of state to pay any additional costs of the recount.” RSA 660:6 provides that if the person requesting the recount is declared the winner after the recount or looses by a margin of less than one percent of the total votes cast, the fees for the recount will be refunded by the State.

Secretary of State Gardner reports that the last time New Hampshire did a statewide recount of the results of the Presidential Primary was in 1980.

Unofficial results indicate that Albert Howard received 44 votes for nomination in the Republican Primary.