NORTHEAST TALLAHASSEE, FL (WTXL) — After two recounts and 15 votes, the results from the Tallahassee City Commission Seat 3 race show Tom Derzypolski edging out Talethia Edwards for a spot in the November runoff.
WATCH FULL REPORT BELOW:
Election workers sorted through 2,122 under votes and over votes during Monday's manual recount. From those, 25 ballots came before the canvassing board for a decision.
Board members examined the marks on each ballot one at a time and voted on whether each showed clear voter intent. The board found that 21 did not — 17 were under votes and 4 were over votes.
Four ballots did add votes to the final count: P.J. Perez gained 1 vote, Darryl "Dar Wavemaker" Alfred gained 1 vote, and Derzypolski gained 2 votes.
Those 2 additional votes increased Derzypolski's lead over Edwards from 13 to 15.
Derzypolski said the close finish should remind voters of the importance of making their voices heard in local elections.
"Take the time to learn about the candidates, what they stand for, their experience, and please, you know, when you have that ballot in front of you, don't skip your local government. I mean, I think we saw 2,000 people essentially, and somewhere another failed to vote in that race, and I would just encourage people to be heard," Derzypolski said.
For Edwards, the result ends a campaign that leaves her considering what comes next.
"That is the question. Will I do this again? Running for office is tedious and time-consuming, and it takes a lot of sacrifices, and so I'm not sure what's in the future. As you see, it came down to 15 votes, and that says that in Tallahassee, the residents are saying, 'We want you,'" Edwards said.
Kim O'Connor attended both the Saturday machine recount and Monday's manual recount, even bringing brownies for those spending hours watching and working through the process. She said the close margin carries a message for voters.
"Don't let thinking that you have to vote in every race keep you from voting or registering," O'Connor said.
More than 40,000 votes were cast for candidates in the race. Perez and Derzypolski will now face each other in the November runoff. Early voting runs Oct. 19 through Nov. 1, with Election Day on Nov. 3.
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