Recount Cancelled In Atlanta City Council Race: Reports

UPDATE — A recount of votes Friday in a tight race for an at-large seat on the Atlanta City Council has been cancelled, according to media reports. Challenger Courtney English withdrew his request Thursday for the recount in his race against incumbent Michael Julian Bond for the Post 1 seat on the council, WXIA-TV 11Alive reported.

A total of 82,065 votes were officially cast and counted in the race, according to media reports. Bond finished with 41,220 votes, compared to English’s 40,845, a margin of 375 votes.

English's attorney said that no candidate won a majority of the vote, and a runoff election is required. However, it was unclear Friday whether a runoff election will take place, said media reports.

Bond claimed victory Thursday, telling 11Alive that the Atlanta city clerk and another official told him that he won the race.

Bond received 49.97 percent of the vote and English won 49.52 percent, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. There were 422 write-in votes, or 0.51 percent of the vote.

ATLANTA, GA — On Friday morning, election officials in Fulton and DeKalb counties will conduct a recount of votes cast in the Nov. 7 election for an at-large seat on the Atlanta City Council, according to media reports. Courtney English, who challenged incumbent Councilman Michael Julian Bond for the Post 1 seat, asked for the recount, WXIA-TV 11Alive reported.

A total of 82,065 votes were officially cast and counted in the race, with Bond winning by 375 votes. He finished with 41,220 votes, compared with English’s 40,845, 11Alive reported.

Under state law, when the difference in the number of votes between candidates is less than 1 percent of the total votes cast, the losing candidate can request a recount.

English won the vote in DeKalb County, but Bond edged English in Fulton County, where most votes were cast, 11Alive reported. In Fulton, 378 write-in votes were cast, but county officials said those votes will not be part of the recount because they were not certified.

In addition, the race for City Council president and two other council seats will be settled in runoff elections on Dec. 5, according to media reports. In the race for council president, Alex Wan is running against Felicia Moore.

In the runoff for Council District 4, Jason Dozier is challenging incumbent Cleta Winslow. In District 9, Kwame Abernathy is running against Dustin Hillis.

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