HOUSTON COUNTY, Ga. — The contentious showdown between incumbent Warner Robins City Councilman Charlie Bibb and realtor and veteran Ellis Carter has reached an unofficial count after four provisional ballots were sorted out in a race with razor-thin margins after a meeting at the Houston County Board of Elections.
On election night, 13WMAZ reported that Bibb received 1,921 votes and Carter received 1,918 — only three votes between the candidates with four provisional ballots outstanding.
Two of the provisional ballots came from early voters who showed up to try to vote again on Election Day. Those ballots were rejected and not counted.
Two other ballots were accepted from the Mossy Creek Middle location, each counted for challenger Ellis Carte.
That brings the total margin between the two candidates to a single vote, leaving the current and unofficial tally at 1,921 for Bibb and 1,920 for Carter.
Under Georgia law, any second-place candidate who loses by under 0.5% can call for a recount. In the city council race, Bibb won by less than that amount and Carter is within his legal ability to order a recount.
A candidate can call for a recount only once the election results are officially certified. The deadline to submit those unofficial results is Tuesday at 5 p.m.
A candidate would have to ask for a recount, which Carter told 13WMAZ he plans to do when the vote tally is officially certified. He says he wants to make sure every voter is heard and all provisional ballots counted.
Bibb also is facing allegations that he broke Election Day rules. Bibb was allegedly campaigning at two separate polling locations at two separate times on Tuesday, Nov. 7: The Houston Healthcare Roy H. “Sonny” Watson Health Pavilion and Mossy Creek Middle School.
"No laws were broken at the Pavilion," Henry Freeman, Property Manager of the Houston Healthcare Pavilion said.
However, a Houston County Democrat member alleges they saw the councilman inside the middle school precinct just before polls closed at 7 p.m..
According to the organization's original press release, Kiefer says she witnessed:
"Candidate Bibb sitting in his parked vehicle in front of her car,
Candidate Bibb exiting his vehicle wearing his campaign shirt, at which time he waved to Mrs. Kiefer AND spoke to a poll worker upon entering Mossy Creek Middle School
Candidate Bibb entering the polling location itself,
Candidate Bibb sat down in plain view of poll workers/monitors in front of the registration table while voters were inside the location and other voters entered,
Candidate Bibb remained inside the Mossy Creek Middle School location, after the last voters exited the building,
Candidate Bibb remained on site and inside for 10-15 additional minutes conversing with poll workers."
The political group initially alleged the poll manager at the precinct "failed to meet her basic responsibility of preventing voters from being exposed to illegal electioneering."
According to Georgia laws, candidates cannot be inside a polling place during an election unless they're there to vote or within 150 feet of "the outer edge of any building within which a polling place is established."
Holland confirmed Bibb voted early and Feagin Mill Middle School is his designated precinct, not MCMS nor the Houston Healthcare Pavilion.
"If he came in to vote, that's one thing," Peterson said. "But, he didn't come in to vote."
13WMAZ cannot confirm if Councilman Charlie Bibb is the accused person in the images shared by the Houston County Democrats, nor if they were wearing a campaign shirt.
On Friday, he told 13WMAZ he was "not at the precinct" and referred questions to his lawyer, but has not shared their name nor contact information.
Bibb's opponent, Carter, said he does not want Bibb disqualified and wants the board to "go through due-process."
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