UPDATE: Penson still ahead by 25 votes after provisional ballots counted in clerk of court race
by Kim Sloan, Staff Writer
Nov 09, 2012 | 5647 views | 3 3 comments | 6 6 recommendations | email to a friend | print
(File / RN-T.com)
(File / RN-T.com)
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Floyd County Superior Court Clerk Barbara Penson said she has won reelection to her seat by 25 votes. The results have not been confirmed by Floyd County elections officials, yet.

Penson staved off a strong challenge from Republican Mark McAllister. McAllister did not immediately return a phone call but has said he will ask for a recount if the vote count is less than one percent.

Because the margin is lower than one percent can legally call for a recount.

Penson: 15,578

McAllister: 15,553

There were 204 provision ballots but only 144 were valid and counted.

Previously posted

Elections officials are still counting provisional ballots, and two candidates are waiting to find out if those ballots will change the outcome of their race.

Only 32 votes separated incumbent Floyd County Superior Court Clerk Barbara Penson, a Democrat, from her Republican challenger, Mark McAllister, an insurance field representative on Tuesday night.

Floyd County elections officials have said about 200 provisional ballots will be counted today at the elections office in the Floyd County Administration building.

“Right now, I’m just in neutral,” Penson said on Thursday evening. “I’m trusting that the same thing that happened on Tuesday will happen tomorrow.”

The final vote count after Tuesday’s general election was 15,514 for Penson and 15,482 for McAllister, and the lead went back and forth during the night.

When asked how he was feeling on Thursday night, McAllister said, “I don’t hope. I don’t wish. I just want the truth to be known.”

Georgia law allows candidates to ask for a recount if the difference between two candidates is less than 1 percent, and McAllister said he will ask for a recount if that turns out to be the case.

“I don’t blame Mr. McAllister if he asks for a recount,” Penson said on Tuesday evening. “But I don’t know of a recount that has changed election results.”

Penson is seeking her second term in office.

She won her first term in 2008 after defeating John Harkins in the Democrat primary after long-time clerk Joe Johnston retired.
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Comments
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Ihatepolitics
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November 09, 2012
In what way did Mr. McAllister's campaign or his qualifications or experience provide a "strong challenge"? He almost won because so many people were unfamiliar with either candidate and chose the one with an R next to his name. A Republican whose last name was Duck and whose first name was Donald, and who campaigned even less effectively than McAllister and who was even less qualified (if that's possible) would have garnered about as many votes. Penson won in a county split 65-35 (Republican-Democrat) because of her strong record and experience.
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h.e.m.philadelphia
|
November 11, 2012
WE should total up all The People over 100 yrs old that voted and count the number of the already dead that were counted as the living voting and start the process of Prosecuting the Guilty of voter fraud and Crimes worse than Grave robing!
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Ihatepolitics
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November 11, 2012
h.e.m., voter fraud is an old tradition in Georgia, and in close races, it could make a difference, but I'm much more worried about accidental and deliberate errors from electronic voting when there's no paper trail.

Also, there's the possibility for human error in determining which provisional ballots are legitimate.

In this case, I don't know that error / fraud made a difference, but we should always be vigilant. The lesson for all of us is that a few votes can make a difference. We should cherish, use, and protect our responsibility to vote, and we should vote responsibly.

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