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Recount ordered in Walthourville
Council seat in question
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When former Walthourville City Councilman Charlie Richardson left the Liberty County Voter Registration Office in Hinesville on Nov. 6, he went home thinking he’d returned to city government. He was ahead of City Council Post 1 incumbent Patricia Green by 11 votes as midnight drew near.
His victory campaign ended two days later, however, when ballots cast during advanced voting week locked in a voting machine were released, added to the final vote tally and showed him actually losing the race by two votes.
But with the final results so close, Richardson asked for and was granted a recount of the votes from the Walthourville election, which will take place at 9 a.m. today at the voter registration office.
“The only reason I asked for the recount is because on Tuesday and Wednesday, I was a winner by 11 votes, but on Friday I was the loser by two votes,” the former city councilman said. “I just want to make sure that everything is right.”
Richardson stopped short of saying he thought foul play was involved in the election results, but said “it don’t hurt to check.”
“Our voting process is different from what it used to be. We’re on the (voting) machines and I think a lot of people are not real familiar with the machines and a lot of people question the reliability of machines,” he said. “And the only way of knowing the reliability of the machine is every once in a while, challenge the system, challenge the machine.”
Green, who reportedly countered with a recount request of her own, did not return phone calls when contacted for comment.
A recount is also scheduled for Walthourville’s mayoral race between current Mayor Henry Frasier and challenger Daisy S. Pray.
Frasier appealed for the review after losing to Pray by 73 votes.
According to Liberty County Chief Registrar Ella Golden, the county’s recent elections were certified by Georgia’s Secretary of State’s office last week and unless an error is found during the recount, the results will stand as reported.
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