Election Outcome Could Be Delayed
| Though unlikely, there is a slight possibility that
the outcome of Loudon County local elections could be delayed by as many
as ten days. The situation stems from a recent federal court ruling
which allows additional time for military and overseas ballots to arrive
back at the election commission office. Those ballots were delayed in
being mailed out thus the decision to allow more time for them to be
returned. The federal court ruling affects the entire state. According to Loudon County election commissioner, Dana Zehner, Loudon County sent out only 18-25 overseas ballots, some of which have already been returned. The later ballots would only be relevant if one of the local contests were to end in a close vote of less than the number of oversea ballots that were still outstanding. Close elections are not uncommon in Loudon County. In the August 2006 county general election, county commissioner Wayne Gardin defeated Bill Campbell by a margin of 14 votes. Later that same year, incumbent Lenoir City councilman, Allen Williams, lost his bid for reelection by the slim margin of 6 votes. Back in 2001 Tim Dixion and Charlie Garner tied with 202 votes each for a seat on the Loudon City Council. |
2/4/08