Absentee Ballot Tally for Dist. 49 Primary Expected Today

Woonsocket firefighter Michael Morin's unofficial Democratic primary victory for former Rep. Lisa Baldelli-Hunt's vacant Dist. 49 post must withstand this afternoon's count of 52 absentee ballots. 

The count, set for 3:30 p.m., could upset Morin's 37-vote lead on Redevelopment Agency Chairman Douglas T. Brown. 

The unofficial count in Tuesday's sparsely-attended primary left Morin with 344 votes, Brown with 307 and Chenot, a Physical Therapist at Rhode Island Hospital, with 7 votes. The Woonsocket Board of Canvassers reports there are still 52 absentee ballots uncounted from the primary, however. The absentee ballots are scheduled to be counted today at 3:30 p.m.
 
Whoever comes on top of the tally this afternoon at the RI Board of Elections will be the sole candidate on the Feb. 25 Special Election ballot to fill the Dist. 49 seat. There are no Republican candidates for the seat, leaving write-in candidates as the only possible challengers to the primary victor.