won’t change winners

By BETH LAKEY

Staff Writer

Aug. 23, 2000 10 PM

Challenges of most of the 375 absentee ballots cast in Tuesday’s election in Troy would have had no effect on the outcome.

Mayoral candidate George Balmer and James "Alex" Neal, who was running for the Troy City Council District 5 seat challenged a majority of the absentee votes based on "fraud."

City Clerk Alton Starling, who served as elections officer, said five poll workers assigned to the absentee ballots "painstakingly" went through each ballot.

He said the challenged absentee ballots will be turned over to the District Attorney’s Office for an investigation.

Despite the challenges, Jimmy Lunsford will retain the position as Troy’s mayor after soundly defeating Balmer by 1,382 votes.

According to the unofficial results, Lunsford received 1,692 votes and Balmer received 310 votes.

José Henderson, who garnered 175 votes will face Charlie Dunn Sr. in a run off for the District 1 seat on the Troy City Council. Dunn received 134 votes. Matthew Jordan Sr. received 103 votes and Rickey McLendon received 35 votes in the District 1 race.

The only other contested race in the Troy election was that for the District 5 seat, which will be held by Wanda Moultry for another four years.

Moultry garnered almost 68 percent of the vote in her race against Lynda Maddox and Neal. Maddox received 107 votes and Neal received 48.

The other three council members ­ Charles Meeks, District 2; Jason Reeves, District 3 and John Witherington, District 4 ­ will remain on the council because of no opposition.

Members of the council will meet at noon today to certify the results of Tuesday’s election.

The run off for the District 1 seat will be held Sept. 12.

In Brundidge two seats on the Brundidge City Council were opposed.

Sherroll Tatom will retain the council seat in District 1. He received 105 votes defeating Altrena Baker, who received 75 votes. In District Vernon Jackson defeated Incumbent Jaine Treadwell. Jackson receives 109 votes and Treadwell received 93 votes.

In Goshen Michael Sanders will retain the position as mayor.

Sanders received 69 votes while Jimmy Bryan received 46 votes and Rusty Yeomans received 10 votes.

The four incumbents who were seeking re-election on the Goshen council will retain their seats. Incumbents Sammy Cope received 20 votes, Norma McLeod received, 23 votes, Al Sanders received 26 votes and J.R. Sanders received 31 votes. The incumbents were opposed by Guy Bruce, who received 10 votes, and Jean Jordan, who received 9 votes. Bruce will fill the unoccupied seat on the five-member Goshen Town Council.