Independent Keith Gaskin still leads incumbent mayor Robert Smith, a Democrat, by 40 votes after election officials processed 158 affidavit and 31 curbside ballots over seven hours on Thursday.
Gaskin has garnered 2,907 votes to Smith’s 2,867, a narrower margin than his 66-vote lead on election night. There are still up to 53 outstanding mail-in absentee ballots. In order for those to count, they must be postmarked by June 8 and arrive to the city registrar’s office no later than Tuesday.
Even if all 53 are returned and are valid, Gaskin would only need seven of those to secure the win.
“We’ll just have to wait and see until the election is certified, but I feel confident my lead will hold and I’ll be the next mayor of Columbus,” Gaskin told The Dispatch on Thursday evening. “We had a very positive message that I thought was resonating throughout the city. I’m not a politician. I want to be a public servant, and I think people believed me when I said that.”
Gaskin added he looks forward to working with Smith during the transition.
“I appreciate the mayor’s long tenure with the city and what he was able to accomplish,” he said.
In a text message to The Dispatch, Smith said he’s been honored to be an elected official since 2001 — first as Ward 1 councilman before becoming mayor in 2006 — and that he respects the will of the voters.
“I love this city and I have always wanted nothing but the best for it,” Smith wrote. “When the election results are official, it will be my desire that whoever is in office will be extremely successful in charting a path forward for our great city.”
Independent candidate Montrell Coburn, who garnered 69 votes total, congratulated Gaskin in a text message to The Dispatch this morning.
“I’m always (one) call or text away if you think I can assist or help on any particular area of your vision!” Coburn said in the message. “(Now let’s show the citizens the fruit of what an independent candidate can produce!)”
Members of the city council-appointed Municipal Election Commission and a representative from the Lowndes County Circuit Clerk’s Office processed the ballots steadily from 9 a.m. to after 4 p.m. Thursday, watched by a representative from the Secretary of State’s Office and dozens of citizens who filtered through during the day.
Affidavits are provisional ballots potential voters can cast if there is an issue verifying their registry, whether they are voting at the correct precinct or if they didn’t bring valid ID. On Thursday, election officials accepted 91 affidavits and rejected 61. Most of those rejected were due to voters casting ballots at the wrong precinct.
Another six affidavits were placed on hold because they are among those who requested mail-in absentee ballots that haven’t been returned. If the absentee ballot is returned, that vote will count. Otherwise, the affidavit will.
Curbside votes were all counted. They were cast on election day by voters who, for some reason, could not go into the precinct and needed a poll worker’s assistance to cast their ballots from their vehicles or outside.
Conflict disclosure: Managing Editor Zack Plair took part in editing this article. He is currently in legal proceedings that involve the city of Columbus. Details are available in previous reporting.
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