HADDAM, Conn. -- Voters are heading back to the polls in Haddam after a close election led to a recount, which showed the original results to be wrong.

The discovery has some residents questioning the election process.

Tuesday night, residents got into a heated debate about the election and how the votes were counted and recounted.

Haddam head moderator Marge Debold defended her decision to go into the registrar’s office, along with the town clerk, and open ballot bags to double-check votes.

“I did something I probably shouldn’t have done, but indeed, I did what I thought was necessary in order to get an accurate vote,” Debold said.

When voters hit the polls on Nov. 3, Republican Chester Harris was running for a seat on the Haddam Killingworth School Board, as was Democrat Sabrina Houltla. Houtla won the election by one vote.

Because the race was so close, there was a recount the next week, where town officials discovered that Harris had actually won by one vote.

The head moderator sent off the results but said as she was checking the tally sheets later that week, she noticed a mistake in the markings on the ballot which made it a tie vote.

Debold and the town clerk, both registered Democrats went into the registrar’s office to recheck the ballot bags, and Republicans questioned that decision at Wednesday night’s meeting.

“See, when you go by yourselves, just the two, it gives the appearance of impropriety; not that there was, but it gives the appearance,” said Harris.

Republicans said that the two Democrats should have had a Republican in the room when they checked the ballots.

The Republican party chairman said that although there will be another vote on Tuesday, we would still like the state to investigate.