By CHRISTINE BOATWRIGHT / Staff Writer

VINCENT – Two challengers in the recent Vincent municipal election have petitioned for a recount after provisional ballots were thrown out.

Joey Cobb, who ran against Mayor Ray McAllister, and Mae Hugh Kidd, who challenged District 2 City Council member Bridgette Jordan-Smith, officially petitioned Sept. 6. Both McAllister and Jordan-Smith were re-elected in the Aug. 28 election.

According to Carol Hill, chairperson of the Shelby County Board of Registrars, Vincent poll officials and voters did not follow proper procedures for the nine provisional ballots.

“Even after we petitioned the court for the record of elections container (for the provisional ballots), we were unable to retrieve materials for a true and accurate account,” Hill said. “We felt that we had made every reasonable effort to make sure they were counted, but were unable to do so.”

Hill said the Board of Registrars contacted Vincent’s attorney to confirm correct procedures were not followed. Both parties agreed the issue could not be resolved, so the provisional ballots were not counted.

McAllister defeated Cobb by 24 votes, with 366 votes to Cobb’s 342. Jordan-Smith defeated Kidd with 111 votes to Kidd’s 74.

Hill said the nine provisional ballots would not have affected the outcome of the election.

Kidd said she filed the petition to “make sure everything was done legally” during the Aug. 28 election.

“The Board of Registrars threw the provisional votes out. They weren’t in order, so they weren’t counted,” Kidd said. “I just don’t feel good about the election.

“I don’t mind losing as long as everything is fair,” she added.

Due to illness, Cobb declined to comment until a later date.

The recount will be Monday, Sept. 10, at 10 a.m. at town hall. Polling officials will handle the recount, according to Joy Marler, Vincent town clerk.