State to recount ballots cast in Anchorge state House race

ANCHORAGE (AP) -- Nonpartisan state House hopeful Pat Abney has requested a recount of ballots in her 37-vote defeat to Republican Mike Hawker in the Nov. 5 general election.

The state elections division agreed to conduct the recount on Friday morning for free because Hawker's margin of victory of 37 votes was just .48 percent of the total votes cast in the race, said division spokeswoman Virginia Breeze. A margin of more than .5 percent would have required Abney to pay $750 for a recount.

The deadline for recount requests was Monday evening.

Abney is a retired teacher and former Anchorage Assemblywoman. She took on Hawker, an accountant, in House District 32, which includes the Anchorage Hillside.

Breeze said that, because the ballots were tallied on election night through the state's Accuvote computer system, rather than by hand, it is ''highly unlikely'' that the Friday recount will result in enough changed ballots for Abney to win.