50¢ Friday/ Saturday August 21-22, 2020 www.perrynewspapers.com Reboots and Recounts Primary election winners announced at 5 a.m. after delays caused by technical issues and human error What started out as a Moody and Circuit Judge relatively normal election Greg Parker. The ballot night Tuesday turned out was one of a number of to be anything but, leaving irregularities they had to local candidates waiting contend with following the hours for the final unofficial voting deadline. The board results as elections staff ultimately decided to accept working into the early- the ballot, but rejected morning hours. several others (see related According to Supervisor story). of Elections Dana Once the deadline passed, Southerland, the problems Southerland collected the began with a memory last few ballots that had been card failure, but that was deposited in the drop box, compounded by human adding them to the others error as she and her staff that had been delivered hastily attempted to since the canvassing last overcome the original issue. met earlier in the day. Ultimately, it wasn’t until Then, with the canvassing around 5 a.m. Wednesday board watching, three staff – some 10 hours after polls members worked to open closed Tuesday evening -- the envelopes and stack the that the final 2,300 mail-in ballots. The 108 envelopes ballots were added to the produced 107 ballots, vote totals. Election officials and members of the Canvassing Board found themselves sorting more than because one turned out to In the waning minutes 2,000 ballots by hand just before the clock struck midnight Tuesday. Issues with a voting machine be empty. Another ballot prior to the 7 p.m. deadline not booting up to read a memory card led to a stack of the wrong ballots being counted, which was held out because it tore for voters to cast their prompted more than four additional hours of work. along the folded crease, ballots, the Supervisor of be told that election-day than one mile north on U.S. through the front door was 7:01 p.m. forcing them to recreate the Elections office on U.S. 19voting can only be done at 19, potentially giving him with just seconds to spare. The decision on whether ballot in order to feed it into was a bustle of activity. their precinct voting house. enough time to still vote. However, he didn’t have or not to accept his the tabulator machine. Several voters turned in One voter who arrived The same couldn’t be said the required envelope with ballot fell to the Taylor There were two tabulators their mail ballots by placing eight minutes prior to the for another who arrived at him, which is required to County Canvassing dedicated to mail-in ballots, them in one of two drop deadline was told his voting 6:58 p.m. turn in a mail-in ballot. By Board, which consisted of and these last 107 were fed boxes. Others, however, house was at the Perry The last voter to arrive at the time elections staff was Southerland, along with ➟ Please see page 11 arrived to vote, only to Shrine Club, located less the elections office walked able to provide a new one, it County Commissioner Jim ELECTION RESULTS Primary Election Aug. 18, 2020 Canvassing Board member Jim Moody (left) and Judge Greg Parker (right) examine a torn ballot. Canvassing Board: Sheriff Clerk of Court Supt. of Schools Shawna Wayne Padgett Gary Knowles Dr. Danny Glover Jr. Beach Who decides if Padgett wins second term as sheriff Incumbent Sheriff Wayne Padgett earned a second election day, while McLeod received 603. ballots will count? term in office on Tuesday, pulling in 74.28% of the voteWhen mail-in ballots were finally tabulated early to defeat challenger Danny McLeod. Wednesday morning, Padgett extended his lead, pulling in Nearly 6,500 Taylor turned into a lengthy odyssey that lasted into Padgett led by a 3-1 margin (76% to 24%) after early 1,641 mail-in ballot votes, compared to 595 for McLeod. Countians voted in the 2020 primary election, but a the early-morning hours of votes were counted (1,391 to 432), and received a total Padgett finished with 4,707 total votes, while McLeod handful of those ballots had Wednesday after a series of 1,675 more votes on ballots cast at the 14 precincts on received 1,630. to be reviewed by the local of problems arose while canvassing board before counting mail-in ballots they could be counted. (see related story). Knowles will succeed Murphy as clerk For the Taylor County However, before those Senior Deputy Clerk Gary “Bubba” Knowles (60.45%) earned 2,491 votes. Canvassing Board, ➟ Please see page 3 out-polled fellow Republican challenger and local Knowles pulled in 261 more votes at the polls on Tuesday’s election night businessman Mike Hunter (39.55%) by approximatelyelection day (1,253), compared to 992 for Hunter. 1,316 votes on Tuesday, earning the right to succeedKnowles had an even larger 610-vote advantage (1,223 veteran Clerk of Court Annie Mae Murphy. ➟ Please see page 11 Masks on or off? Knowles received a total of 3,807 votes, while Hunter Glover defeats Beshears to retain superintendent seat City to vote Tue. Superintendent of Schools Dr. Danny Glover Jr. won a to 604 votes once the mail-in results were added during second term in office during Tuesday’s Primary Election, the early-morning hours Wednesday. Perry City Council Based on comments made edging out challenger Alicia Beshears by just over 600 Glover garnered a total of 3,474 votes (54.76%) to members are scheduled to at a special virtual meeting votes out of 6,344 ballots cast. Beshears 2,870 votes (45.24%). hold a final public hearinglast Friday morning, the and vote on re-enacting City of Perry’s mandatory Glover held a narrow lead of just 99 votes prior to ➟ mail-in ballots being tallied, however that lead extended Please see page 11 a mandatory face mask mask ordinance will likely ordinance at their upcoming be voted back into effect Tuesday, Aug. 25, meeting. at the council’s Aug. 25 Beach wins primary, will face Tharpe in November The draft ordinance meeting, scheduled to begin language can be viewed Shawna Beach pulled in 70.12% of the votes to handily General Election showdown against Abbey Lundy at 5:30 p.m. defeat fellow Republican challenger Jerry Register online at www.CityofPerry. Less than 72 hours after Tharpe, who is running with no party affiliation (NPA).net, the City of Perry’s falling just shy of the (29.88%) in the Republican primary race for the TaylorBeach grabbed an advantage of 908 vote to Register’sFacebook page and the needed four votes needed County Property Appraiser’s seat Tuesday night. 359 votes after early votes were counted and then extended After more than a decade of working in a variety of Curtis Law Firm’s website to extend an emergency ➟ Please see page 11 (www.thecurtislawfirm. ➟ roles within the office, Beach will now advance to the com/public). Please see page 11 Index One section 131st Year, No. 33 Weather Friday Saturday Sunday Looking Back ......... A-4 Community ............ A-7 84˚ 84˚ 85˚ Religion .................. A-5 Entertainment ........ A-9 72˚ 71˚ 72˚ Sports .................... A-6 Classifieds .......... A-10 80% 80% 60% A-2 Perry News-Herald August 21-22, 2020 English wins ELECTION RESULTS District 1 seat Primary Election Aug. 18, 2020 Jamie English will Page, who announced succeed long-time Taylor earlier this year he was County Commissioner withdrawing from the Newman defeats four others in District 3 race Malcolm Page as the District 1 race and would representative of District not seek re-election to a Two years after finishingperson race for the same Newman finished with Running as the only 1 this November after fifth term. second in another five-seat, Michael Elzie 583 votes (33.11%), Republican in the race defeating two other Newman won a followedfive- by Jody DeVane two years ago, Murphy challengers in Tuesday’s candidate race for the with 360 votes (20.44%), garnered 35.38% of the primary election. Taylor County Commission Ursula Miller with 327 votes vote (789 votes) to defeat English received 685 District 3 race, defeating (18.57%), Richard Carr Newman (546 votes), votes (58.85%), while incumbent Sean Murphy with 316 votes (17.94%) who drew 24.48% of the Brandon Thomas Fletcher and three others. and current District 3 votes cast running as a received 375 votes All five were running as County Commissioner Democrat. (32.22%) and Glenn Frith Republicans, resulting in a Sean Murphy with 175 Three other candidates received 104 votes (8.93%). universal primary in which votes (9.94%). ran with No Party AffiliationAll three were running as all voters in District 3 Murphy was elected in (NPA) in 2018, including: Republicans, resulting in a could participate. As such, 2018 to fulfill the final Stevetwo Spradley (450 votes universal primary, which there will be no run-off in years of the term originally – 20.18%), Ursula Miller means there will be no run- November, despite the fact held by the late Frank (261 votes – 11.70%) and off election. that no candidate received Jody DeVane (184 votes – Michael Newman Russell, who died in office English will take over more than 50% of the vote. earlier that year. 8.25%). the seat in November from Jamie English Demps wins second term Mathis earns 62% District 5 Taylor County early votes and 224 mail- In that year, Demps won a Commissioner Thomas in ballots, while Reaves four-candidate Democratic of Tuesday’s votes Demps won re-election to received 127 votes at the primary with 39.65% of the a second term, defeating polls, 74 early votes and 97 vote.