NEWS

Election results: Owen school board votes to be recounted

Ty Roush
Black Mountain News
Incumbent Peggy Buchanan won a reelection bid for the Owen District seat on the county's Board of Education by 245 votes.

Buncombe County Board of Elections and the Election Services Department announced a recount for seats on the North Carolina Supreme Court and Buncombe County Board of Education.

Separated by 245 votes, incumbent Peggy Buchanan won her reelection bid for the Owen District seat on the Board of Education over Linda Tatsapaugh.

Tatsapaugh, who had an initial lead prior to a final count on Nov. 3, is behind Buchanan by 0.3% of total votes.

"This is a significant undertaking," Director of Election Services Corinne Duncan said in a press release. "We have 16 early voting locations totaling approximately 106,000 ballots, plus roughly 35,000 ballots, 20,000 Election Day ballots and more than 250 provisional. In order to accomplish recounting by (Nov. 25), we will have to implement an aggressive plan."

Recounting began at 2:30 p.m. Nov. 19. Election Services staff say they anticipate the recount running through the weekend.

Per state procedures, observers are allowed to view recounting efforts at 50 Cox Ave. The recount will also be livestreamed at www.buncombecounty.org/vote.

If a recount causes voting results to change, a hand-eye count of a sample of precincts will begin.