Rev. Ronnie Tucker will face Cassandra Palmer in the Nov. 23 runoff election for a Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District board of trustees seat.
The Oktibbeha County Election Commission counted affidavit votes Wednesday morning, accepting 22 of the 33 ballots cast. Affidavits are ballots cast by voters who did not present ID or there were questions about their address on election day.
Tucker received seven of those, bringing his total to 343. Willette DuVall received only two, bringing her total votes to 325.
Palmer, who had already outpaced the field with 45 percent of the vote on Tuesday to qualify for the runoff, received eight more votes from affidavits. Incumbent John Brown, who finished fourth, received the other five.
This is one of two elected seats on the SOCSD board chosen by voters who live outside the Starkville city limits. The other three board spots, filled by Starkville residents, are appointed by the board of aldermen.
One voter has until Tuesday to present an ID, and five absentees that were mailed out to voters before the election have not been returned, according to election officials. While these have until Tuesday to be received, they will not affect the outcome.
Tucker said he is thrilled to have made it to the next stage of the election. He said he is hoping to expand his voter base and enhance voter turnout.
“I am extremely happy to be in the runoff,” Tucker said. “I shall continue to work hard to achieve victory on Nov. 23.”
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