Scurlock wins Pleasant City Council seat after a coin flip

A mandatory recount for a seat on the Pleasant City Village Council after two candidates tied with 29 votes during the General Election was conducted Monday at the Guernsey County Board of Elections with no change in the number of votes for each.

As a result, the winner was determined to be challenger Melanie Scurlock after she won a coin flip conducted on Nov. 15 when the official count was conducted at the board of elections.

"The totals from the hand count during the recount were the same as the official count," said Board of Elections Executive Director Lori Bamfield. "As a result, Melanie Scurlock is the winner of the fourth seat on the Pleasant City council."

The top three vote recipients during the Nov. 2 election were incumbent Audrey Joyce Bayly with 41 followed by challengers Scarlet Scott with 40 and Christopher P. Wills with 34.

Owen Williams also tallied 29 along with Scurlock followed by incumbents Tammy Gress-Wills with 25 and David Barbour with 24.

The board of elections also conducted a post-election audit with 5% of the 6,301 ballots cast also being hand counted to ensure accuracy.

"With the mandatory recount we knew one race that had to be recounted and a second precinct was drawn at random to audit," said Bamfield.

All of the ballots cast in that precinct were counted by hand and again, and the results were the same as the official machine count.

Bamfield said the office has started getting ready for the next primary election on May 3, 2022. The deadline for candidates to file in that election is Feb. 2.

A county commissioner and auditor positions will be included with the primary election and voters will be able to designate their political party.

"We have received several calls from people wanting to know when they can declare or change their political party," said Bamfield. "Voters can choose their party during the primary election in even years."

For more information, call the Guernsey County Board of Elections, call 740-432-2680 or visit the office at 627 Wheeling Ave.