Lantigua picks up 11 votes, Rivera Gains 8 Votes… Dan Rivera Wins Lawrence Mayoral Election by 57 Votes

By: Tom Duggan – November 8, 2013 

The Lawrence Board of Registrars met Friday evening to vote on whether or not provisional ballots and absentee ballots would be added to the election totals of Lawrence Mayor Willie Lantigua or Challenger Dan Rivera. 

On Tuesday Rivera was declared the winner by 60 votes, but the day was marked with ballot machine mishaps, challenged votes and people voting in Lawrence after also voting in other communities. 

The Board of Registrars is comprised of Annie Medina, Larry Collopy and City Clerk Billy Maloney.

After considering more than 41 provisional ballots and two absentee ballots that were “found” in the Election Department behind a file cabinet, Lantigua gained 11 votes and Rivera gained only 8. 

The unofficial tally now has Dan Rivera beating Willie Lantigua by 57 votes. 

Lantigua’s attorney Sal Tabit said tonight that Mayor Lantigua had not yet decided if he was going to call for a recount. He evaded direct questions by reporters as to Lantigua’s intentions and said that they wanted to wait until the city released the “official results”. 

Rivera and his team, (including former North Andover State Rep. David Torrisi, his sister, North Andover Town Moderator Mark DiSalvo) joined Lantigua’s team as both sides inspected the sealed ballots and witnesses the ballot inspections as the board voted on each ballot. 

  2013 lawrence election, ballots, Dan Rivera, election, mayoral election, sal tabit, Willie Lantigua