A Dec. 5 runoff election has been set after an unusual tie in a Cumming City Council race.
A Nov. 13 recount to certify the Nov. 7 election results showed that in the Post 1 race, incumbent Chuck Welch and challenger Chad Crane tied at 441 votes apiece. Preliminary results last week found that Crane had won by three votes.
Elections chief Barbara Luth said the do-over showed that two previously provisional ballots uncounted last week were cast for Welch, and that one paper ballot for Welch had been incorrectly machine-read as blank because the voter had marked it somewhat improperly.
City clerk Jeff Honea said that under the city’s structure, a runoff is to be held in a race that winds up as a tie. Advance voting will come before Dec. 5 but no date has been set.
