Town meeting moderator Susan Blagden announced Tuesday, a new tally of Wiscasset’s June 13 votes has been set for 2 p.m. Thursday, June 22, in the town office’s hearing room.

The public should not have been kept from viewing the counting on election night, Blagden said in a phone interview June 14. People are supposed to be able to watch, and they will be, anytime she moderates again, Blagden said.

The doors of the Senior Center inside Wiscasset Community Center were closed shortly after the polls closed the night of June 13 and remained closed during the two-hour count, except when election workers and WCC staff went in and out.

“It’s on me,” Blagden said about the counting being closed to public view. It shouldn’t have happened, she said. “I knew it was the law, and I just forgot.”

According to legislature.maine.gov, Title 21-A, Section 695 states in part: “The ballots must be counted publicly so that those present may observe the proceedings.”

Anderson on June 14 wrote to Maine Municipal Association describing the incident and asking if it was legal. Later that day, Richard Flewelling, assistant director of MMA’s legal services department, wrote back.

Flewelling wrote in the email response: “In light of the statute, in view of the closed-door count last night, and in the interest of public transparency, I recommend that the Warden/Moderator of yesterday’s election, on his or her own initiative and as soon as possible (ideally within 24 hours after the polls were closed), announce that the ballots will be counted again, in public, as required by law.

“This announcement should be publicized in as many venues as practicably available, including the town’s website. Also, if those present but excluded from last night’s count can be identified, I strongly recommend that a special effort be made to notify them personally of the new count. If the new count results in any change in votes, a corrected return should be completed.,” Flewelling added.

Town officials said last week, holding a new tally was up to Blagden to decide. Anderson said in an email to the Wiscasset Newspaper, “The Town’s plan is to address all election day issues during the next ballot clerk training. The Clerk typically holds this annually.”