The text of this story has been updated since originally posted October 11th.
The outcome of Tuesday’s Henderson mayoral race remains uncertain, and the two top vote-getters are headed to a Nov. 7 runoff election.
Melissa Elliott earned 898 votes from the 1,856 individuals who voted in the nonpartisan municipal elections, which constitutes 48.57 percent – just short of the 50 percent, plus 1 vote state statute requires to be considered the winner.
Greg Etheridge garnered 746 votes, just more than 40 percent. Etheridge said in an email Wednesday that he had submitted his request for a runoff to the county board of elections.
Elliott said as of Wednesday that provisional ballots and mail-in ballots were yet to be included in the overall count, so she said it was premature as of Wednesday for her to comment on a possible runoff.
In a written statement sent Tuesday evening to WIZS News, Etheridge thanked his supporters and laid out plans for a Nov. 7 runoff.
In part, his statement read: “You are the reason I am going to continue the fight for safer neighborhoods, affordable housing, jobs with living wages, a vibrant downtown, and lower property taxes in our wonderful hometown.”
About 20 percent of the city’s residents voted during the early voting period and Tuesday’s election day – 1,856 of the city’s 9,285 registered voters.
In a phone interview Wednesday, Elliott said she chooses not to criticize those who did not vote, but she applauds those who did come out to vote.
“Right now, I’m the winner and I’m going to stay the winner,” she said.
Elections officials planned to open the provisional ballot box on Friday, Oct. 13 at 12 noon.
A simple math problem shows that of those 9,285 registered voters, 1,856 exercised their right to vote, leaving a whopping 7,429 who did not vote at all.
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