By Sherry Koonce

The News staff writer

The winner of Saturday’s City Council runoff election that ended in a tie, could be announced as early as Friday.

The city’s Early Voting Board will meet at 3 p.m. at the Robert “Bob” A. Bowers Civic Center to evaluate provisional ballots. Although initially reported to be just one ballot, four were turned in from election precincts.

Candidates Thomas Henderson and Kerry “Twin” Thomas each received 739 votes for the Position 8 seat during Saturday’s runoff election.

According to state election rules, precinct judges have the authority to allow a person to vote provisionally if their voter registration status is in question.

With four provisional ballots out, the election could go a number of ways: there could be a winner, or another tie.

If the votes remain equal, the city charter directs candidates to draw lots to determine the winner.

“There could still be a tie, then we will have to go to a new procedures,” Henderson said.

Thomas said he believed the chances of another tie were highly unlikely, but not impossible.

“I really don’t have any feeling of how it may go, but looking at the four votes there is the possibility that they may throw out one, or may throw out all four, we just really don’t know how it will go,” Thomas said.

However the vote comes down, Thomas said he wants to makes sure everything is done by the books.

“It will be over tomorrow, unless there is another tie, then that would be phenomenon,” Henderson said.

Contact this reporter at skoonce@panews.com