The Vermont Election in 2006 consisted of elections for federal, state, and local elections. All state offices were for two years; all terms expired in 2006. Elections included the gubernatorial, all state offices, including all state senators and representatives, the federal Congress and the U.S. Senate.
A primary election in August determined which candidates parties would choose to run in the general election in November.
Local elections occurred during the town meeting in March.
| Election Name: | 2006 Vermont auditor of accounts election |
| Country: | Vermont |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 2004 Vermont auditor of accounts election |
| Previous Year: | 2004 |
| Next Election: | 2008 Vermont auditor of accounts election |
| Next Year: | 2008 |
| Election Date: | November 7, 2006 |
| Nominee1: | Thomas M. Salmon |
| Party1: | Vermont Democratic Party |
| Popular Vote1: | 111,741 |
| Percentage1: | 44.56% |
| Nominee2: | Randy Brock |
| Party2: | Vermont Republican Party |
| Popular Vote2: | 111,637 |
| Percentage2: | 44.52% |
| Nominee3: | Martha Abbott |
| Party3: | Vermont Progressive Party |
| Popular Vote3: | 23,483 |
| Percentage3: | 9.36% |
| Nominee4: | Jerry Levy |
| Party4: | Liberty Union Party |
| Popular Vote4: | 3,913 |
| Percentage4: | 1.56% |
| Auditor | |
| Before Election: | Randy Brock |
| Before Party: | Republican |
| After Election: | Thomas M. Salmon |
| After Party: | Democratic |
In 2006, a close general election for Auditor of Accounts prompted a recount which overturned the original count. This was one of two state results overturned anywhere in the nation from 1980 through 2006. It was the seventh recount in Vermont's history and the only one that overturned an original count.[1]
Unofficial election night results had Democrat Thomas M. "Tom" Salmon losing to Republican incumbent Randolph D. "Randy" Brock by over 800 votes. But when the certified results were announced a few days later, Brock was leading by only 137 votes (with over 250,000 votes cast). Given the closeness of the election, Salmon, in accordance with Title 17, section 2602(b) of the state statutes, then petitioned the Washington County Superior Court for a recount.
As recounted results began coming in from the state's 14 Counties, Brock's lead soon disappeared, and Salmon took the lead.
On December 21, 2006, Superior Court Judge Mary Miles Teachout declared Salmon the winner by a margin of 102 votes over Brock.http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061221/NEWS/61221012
This was the first statewide recount in Vermont in 26 years. According to the state archivist, it is also the first time in the state's history that a certified election was overturned on the basis of a recount.http://www.rutlandherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061219/NEWS/612190371/1004/NEWS03 Also, according to Brock, this may have been the closest statewide election in the state's history.http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061221/NEWS/61221012
Salmon took office on January 4, 2007.
The unofficial recount results as of December 19, 2006, as reported by the Vermont Secretary of State's office https://web.archive.org/web/20071025085313/http://vermont-elections.org/elections1/2006AuditorRecount12.19.06.html (these results do not include small changes due to the counting of 62 provisional and vote by phone ballots, and due to the court's resolution of a small number of disputed ballots, that were included in the final results):
| Candidate | Party | Original Count | Recount | Change in Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martha Abbott | Progressive | 23,545 | 23,483 | -62 |
| Randy Brock | Republican | 111,486 | 111,637 | +151 |
| Jerry Levy | Liberty Union | 4,229 | 3,913 | -316 |
| Thomas M. Salmon (Winner) | Democratic | 111,349 | 111,741 | +392 |