By CAROL ROBIDOUX
Union Leader Correspondent
DERRY – After a long night of vote counting, town council candidates in District 2 will now have to wait for a recount, after David Milz edged out Tom Cardon by one vote – 289 to 288.
District 4 Incumbent Brian Chirichiello easily won reelection, with 227 votes over Joseph DiChiaro, 128, and Al Dimmock, with 80.
Winner of the at-large seat was Joel Olbricht with 999 votes, edging Doug Newell, with 868 votes, followed by James Webb, with 121 votes
In the only other contested race, Judy Strakalaitis won over Bruce Neale for Supervisor of the Checklist, 851 to 763.
None of the school board members running were contested, which means Brenda Willis, Kevin Gordon and Ken Linehan will all return for another term.
Town moderator Margi Ives said a total of 2,139 residents came out to the polls yesterday, of the town's more than 21,000 eligible voters.
“We can do better; we should do better,” Ives said. “Voter turnout in Derry is anemic.”
Hand counting of absentee ballots and write-in votes took until nearly 11 p.m. This year's process was complicated by a dual ballot system, which meant voters had one ballot for town office candidates and one for school board candidates.
Cardon was the only candidate who waited for the final vote count to be read inside the town municipal center. He must formally request a recount by Friday at 4 p.m., said Town Clerk Denise Neale.
Earlier in the day candidates lined the entrances to both polling places as voters trickled in throughout the day.
Kids Vote, which brings students to the polls to vote for school-specific issues, was a hit with many school-ages students, including Verity Brodeur, 9, a third-grader at Derry Village School. Given a choice between Funky Hat/Crazy Hair Day, Twin Day and Grade Spirit Day, she chose spirit day.
“That's it?” said her 5-year-old brother, Elias, after watching his sister check off her choice and drop her ballot in the box. “Voting is easy.”
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