Well, this should be interesting.

Today at 4:00, the state Board of Canvassers will take a second crack at certifying the results in the Progressive Party’s gubernatorial primary. On Tuesday, the Board approved a final tally of 371 for Martha Abbott and 354 write-ins for anti-wind activist Annette Smith. That’s usually the last word in election results.

Not this time. On Wednesday, Secretary of State Jim Condos re-opened the count due to “human errors” and called a special Board meeting for 4:00 today.

And he told the Vermont Press Bureau that Smith’s revised total will be “at least 370.”

Oh boy.

After the jump: Do I have second thoughts?

So after the initial certification, I wrote a diary critical of Smith and Co. for wanting to pursue the issue further.

Was I wrong about that? Yes.

I relied on the Board of Canvassers’ certification as the final word. That’s a pretty safe bet under normal circumstances, but this ain’t normal.

Has an election ever been re-opened after it’s been certified? I don’t know, but I wouldn’t be at all surprised if this is a first in Vermont political history.

I still believe that the write-in campaign itself was a questionable move: taking advantage of a low-turnout primary to hijack an established party’s nomination. If Smith does, indeed, pull this out, I hope she takes some responsibility for representing the Party as well as her own cause.