With ballot box and absentee votes in, both the District 1 supervisor and tax collector Republican primary runoffs were too close to call Tuesday night, with 12 votes separating candidates in both races.
According to Circuit Clerk Teresa Barksdale, 13 affidavit ballots and as many as 11 mail-in absentee votes remain to be counted. Those 24 votes are enough to tip the scales in both contests.
In the tax collector race, Kalee Talley leads Diane Whaley Stephens by a 1,768 to 1,756 margin.
Both candidates declined to comment to The Dispatch on Tuesday night.
The winner of that race will claim the office, as there are no other candidates.
In the District 1 supervisor race, Matt Furnari has 735 votes to Michael Brock’s 723. Barksdale said 10 of the 13 affidavits are in District 1.
Furnari declined to comment Tuesday night, saying he “wanted to show as much respect for the process as possible.”
Brock did not return a Dispatch phone call by press time.
Both men are Republicans, and the eventual winner will go on to face Democrat Tommy Lee Kidd in the Nov. 7 general election.
Incumbent Harry Sanders did not seek reelection.
Although affidavit ballots will be counted Wednesday, Barksdale said the results can’t be certified before the middle of next week. The law allows five business days after the election for mail-in ballots to come in. Due to the Labor Day holiday falling on Monday, that means the deadline is next Wednesday.
Brian Jones is the local government reporter for Columbus and Lowndes County.
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