Originally posted 7:30 p.m. Nov. 7, 2023

Updated 9:56 p.m. Nov. 7, 2023

VALDOSTA — Election officials are blaming a vote-counting discrepancy on state-mandated software that failed to completely load votes from Precinct 10, which votes at the Lowndes County Civic Center.

Officials re-uploaded those ballots and the issue seemed to be resolved around 9:30 p.m.

The second upload did change a few of the totals for Valdosta races, but they did not alter the outcome of any race.

According to numbers released about 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, candidates for Valdosta mayor and the at-large Valdosta City Council post received more votes than the total number of ballots cast. Officials reported 4,492 ballots had been cast — but said they believed that number was wrong. The three candidates for Valdosta mayor totaled 4,905 votes while the at-large city council seat’s four candidates totaled 4,713.

About 8:45 p.m., officials updated the turnout numbers to show 5,450 ballots had been cast.

After officials re-uploaded the Precinct 10 ballots, the total of ballots cast was recorded as 5,758.

Vote totals are unofficial until they are certified, which must happen by 5 p.m. Monday.

The totals released Tuesday night — with all 13 precincts reporting:

Dasher City Council, Post 4

Bradley Eyre: 37

Anita Armstrong Scott: 44

Hahira City Council, Post 2

Kenneth Davis: 104

Klay Luke: 107

Hahira City Council, Post 3

Terry Benjamin: 35

David Lindsey: 86

Hahira, sale of alcohol on Sunday

Yes: 276

No: 145

Remerton City Council

Steve Koffler: 14

Toney “Paco” Salcedo: 10

Bill Wetherington: 9

Valdosta Mayor

Fallon Harris: 124

Scott James Matheson: 2,648

J.D. Rice: 2,441

Valdosta City Council, District 1

Yurshema Flanders: 310

Vivian Miller-Cody: 451

Valdosta City Council, District 3

India Bell: 176

Thomas McIntyre: 345

Valdosta City Council, District 7 (at-large)

Nick “Big Nick” Harden: 2,377

Bill Love: 1,346

Alvin Payton Jr.: 989

Edgar “Nicky” Tooley: 296.

If these numbers hold up through the certification process, Harden and Love will face one another in a runoff election for Valdosta’s District 7 seat. Harden received 47.46% of the vote to Love’s 26.88%, Payton’s 19.75% and Tooley’s 5.91%. Despite having the largest share of the vote, Harden did not receive the required 50% plus one vote to win outright.