The City of Andalusia on Friday morning held a recount of votes cast in the Sept. 23^rd municipal run-off election in Council District 4. There was no change in the results.

District 4 challenger Greg Palmer on Tuesday called for the recount in the September election in which he and incumbent Presley Boswell ended in a 183-183 tie. That tie was broken by the Andalusia City Council Tuesday when they returned Boswell to a full term on the council.

There was one provisional ballot cast in that race that potentially could have broken the tie. However, when the Board of Registrars, with input from the Alabama Secretary of State, determined the voter was not registered to vote in District 4.

After certifying the election results from last week, city administrator John Thompson polled each member of the council to break the tie. Mayor Earl Johnson, Councilman Joe Nix, Councilman Kennith Mount, Councilwoman Hazel Griffin and Councilman Terry Powell all voted for Boswell. Boswell abstained. 

District 1 Councilman Joe Nix also was reelected in the Sept. 23rd runoff, defeating Jermaine Woods, 142-98.

When the council’s canvassing meeting was adjourned, Palmer notified city officials in writing that he was calling for a recount, and also asked to inspect the sign-in sheets of those who cast absentee ballots and those who voted in person. He also presented $10,000 in cash to cover the costs of a recount.

State law says anyone with standing can ask for a recount.

“The petitioner must be prepared to pay the cost of the recount and must be required to give security to cover these costs in an amount as determined by the municipal governing body based upon an estimate of actual costs. The recount must be conducted under the supervision of a trained and certified poll official. Representatives of opposing interests shall be given at least 24 hours’ notice and shall be invited to participate in the recount,” the Alabama Code states.

“If the recount produces a change in precinct totals of sufficient magnitude to alter the result of the election, the outcome shall constitute grounds for an election contest as now prescribed by law,” the Code of Alabama states. “If the recount of the resulting contest alters the result of the election, the cost of the recount shall be borne by the municipality.”

Palmer also asked for a recount of the votes cast on August 26^th. However, the deadline for a recount of that election had already passed. According to the Code of Alabama, Section 11-46-55, “The time period for requesting a recount ends 48 hours after the official canvass of returns by the municipal governing body.”

Palmer also asked to review records of who cast ballots in the election, including those who voted absentee. The City of Andalusia has been advised by the Secretary of State that those records are to remain sealed unless a circuit judge orders them to be opened.

The recount was held in City Hall auditorium. A technician from the tabulation machine company, who programs the machines, was present.

Alabama law requires that poll officials also return for the recount. Chief inspector Jenny Pitts was joined by Billy Joe Stallworth and Jimmy Jackson, who operated the tabulation machines on Sept. 23^rd. Probate Judge Stacy Brooks, who manages all county-wide elections, also was present. 

The poll workers unsealed the ballots, and separated District 1 and District 4 ballots, then fed the District 4 ballots through the tabulation machines for a recount.

After the recount, Mrs. Pitts announced the results, and the ballots were resealed, with the three poll workers signing the seal.

Both Palmer and Boswell were present for the recount.

City administrator John Thompson explained that when the costs of holding the recount are totaled, Palmer will be refunded the balance of his deposit. 

Andalusia is one of at least three Alabama municipalities that have had elections end in a tie in the current election cycle.

On Tuesday's runoff election in Andalusia, incumbent District 4 Councilman Presley Boswell and challenger Greg Palmer tied with 183 votes each. One provisional ballot cast in District 4 is being reviewed by the Board of Registrars, who, when the Andalusia City Council meets to certify the election results at noon on Tuesday will tell the council if the vote can count.

If the vote counts, it will break the tie and the recipient of that provisional vote will be declared the District 4 winner. If the vote does not count, the Code of Alabama, Sec.11-46-55, says that the current City Council will break the tie.

In the event that the City Council vote ends in a tie, the law provides that the probate judge shall choose a winner by lot. Probate Judge Brooks has committed to attend Tuesday’s Council meeting in case her services are needed. 

In District 1 on Tuesday, Andalusia voters returned incumbent Joe Nix to a second term on the Council. Nix defeated challenger Jermaine Woods, 142 to 98.

Other Alabama municipalities also have faced ties this year.

On August 26, the mayor of Guntersville and her challengertied. They met in a run-off this week, as required by law, and Mayor Leigh Dollars was ultimately successful in her bid for re-election. 

Also on August 26, the mayor of Centreville and his opponent were tied. Two provisional ballots cast in that election broke the tie in favor of the challenger. Current Mayor Mike Oakley is challenging the results in court.

In an another extremely rare incident, the City of Moulton will conduct a second run-off in October. There were four candidates in Moulton's race for District 1 Council on August 26th. The top three vote-getters had 38 percent, 23 percent and 23 percent respectively. 

There were therefore three candidates in that run-off election this week. Again, no one received more than 50 percent of the votes. The top two candidates from Sept. 23^rd will meet in a second runoff on October 28.  

District 4 challenger Greg Palmer is calling for a recount of the Sept. 23^rd runoff election in the City of Andalusia in which he and incumbent Presley Boswell ended in a tie that was broken in Boswell’s favor Tuesday by the current council.

There was one provisional ballot cast last Tuesday in District 4. However, Buddy Wilkes reported to the council that he and the other two members of the Board of Registrars, with input from the Alabama Secretary of State, agreed that the voter, identified as Shannon Bryant, was not registered to vote in District 4.

After certifying the election results from last week, city administrator John Thompson polled each member of the council to break the tie. Mayor Earl Johnson, Councilman Joe Nix, Councilman Kennith Mount, Councilwoman Hazel Griffin and Councilman Terry Powell all voted for Boswell. Boswell abstained.  

District 1 Councilman Joe Nix also was reelected in the Sept. 23rd runoff, defeating Jermaine Woods, 142-98.

When the council’s canvassing meeting was adjourned, Palmer notified city officials in writing that he was calling for a recount. He also presented $10,000 in cash to cover the costs of a recount.

State law says anyone with standing can ask for a recount.

“The petitioner must be prepared to pay the cost of the recount and must be required to give security to cover these costs in an amount as determined by the municipal governing body based upon an estimate of actual costs. The recount must be conducted under the supervision of a trained and certified poll official. Representatives of opposing interests shall be given at least 24 hours’ notice and shall be invited to participate in the recount,” the Alabama Code states.

“If the recount produces a change in precinct totals of sufficient magnitude to alter the result of the election, the outcome shall constitute grounds for an election contest as now prescribed by law,” the Code of Alabama states. “If the recount of the resulting contest alters the result of the election, the cost of the recount shall be borne by the municipality,”

Palmer also asked for a recount of the votes cast on August 26^th. However, the deadline for a recount of that election has already passed. According to the Code of Alabama, Section 11-46-55, “The time period for requesting a recount ends 48 hours after the official canvass of returns by the municipal governing body.”

Palmer also asked to review records of who cast ballots in the election, including those who voted absentee. The City of Andalusia has been advised by the Secretary of State that those records are to remain sealed unless a circuit judge orders them to be opened.

The City of Andalusia is required to give 24 hours notice of a recount. The date has not yet been set. Polling officials who worked the Sept. 23 election will need to be present, as will an official of the vote tabulator machine company.

 The Andalusia City Council on Tuesday approved a $28.2 million budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1.

The budget has only a 2.6 percent increase in actual operating expenses, the mayor said. The increase is lower than the annual inflation rate, which was 2.9 percent as of August.

“This is a sound budget,” Mayor Earl Johnson said. “Our employees and council members have worked to keep our expenses in line.”

The budget includes:

• $29.2 million in operating expenses

• $250,000 in the contingency fund

• $923,526 for the capital improvement account, which is used for equipment or construction.

“We are pleased that the city’s revenues, which come mostly from sales taxes, continue to grow,” Mayor Johnson said. “We have had some excellent retail additions in the past few years, and we look forward to adding some more exciting retailers in the coming fiscal year.”

In other business, the council:

• Reappointed Deidre Trawick Belton to the board of the Andalusia Public Library.

• Approved the transfer of a restaurant retail liquor license to Kim Samurai Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar.

• Approved the renewal of a contract with the Covington County Commission and Sheriff Blake Turman for housing city inmates.