Upton receives petition and fee on behalf of school board

MANCHESTER, NH  November 10, 2026—Former at-Large School Committeeman Rich Girard filed a petition to recount the vote on Ballot Question 2.  The question gave voters the option to adopt a cap on the amount of property taxes that could be raised from one year to the next and also limited spending on administration to no more than 6% of the overall school budget.  

According to state law and guidance given by the secretary of state, adoption required a 60% supermajority of votes cast on the question.  According to unofficial election results released by the Office of the City Clerk, there 20,827 in favor of the cap and 13,919 opposed.  “Yes” garnering 59.94% of the vote, the caps fell just 21 votes short of adoption.  The 3,740 ballots where no vote was cast are not included in the percentages, though school districts across the state, including Manchester, are questioning that determination.

Girard: Taxpayers want restraint

In a statement issued after the filing, Girard said the narrow margin was one factor in his decision to organize the recount petition, which required the signatures of not less than 10 registered voters in the city to file.

“It is entirely reasonable to ask for a recount when just 21 votes out of 34,746 cast is the difference between the cap being adopted or not; a margin of just 0.06% warrants a second look.

“Manchester, used a brand new voting machine to count the votes.  While the election ran smoothly overall, it wasn’t without its hiccups in several wards.  A recount provides scrutiny that should be welcomed by all parties to determine the accuracy of the new machines and ensure that no hiccup affected ballots were missed.

“Finally, with the recent, historically huge override of the city’s tax cap, every the recount of every vote in this landslide result, regardless of the outcome, reminds elected officials that Manchester taxpayers continue to demand fiscal restraint.”

By law, the school district must schedule the recount no sooner than five days from today and no later than ten.  The law also requires the Board of School Committee to conduct the recount.

Girard said he spoke with school district attorney Matt Upton about what the law required and how it might work in practice.  Upton said meetings were scheduled with City Clerk Matthew Normand to discuss the matter and that he would keep Girard updated as to how things would work and when the recount would be scheduled.

Here’s a copy of the petition: Rich Girard Question 2 Recount Filing

Note, address of those who filed has been redacted to guard against retaliation by opponents of the ballot measure.  Originals presented to Upton and retained by Girard show the addresses.

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