Mayoral election results up in air as recount looming
Atlanta voters woke up to déjà vu Wednesday in the racially polarized contest to choose the city’s next mayor, with one candidate laying claim to City Hall while the other vowed to seek a recount over a margin of just 759 votes.
The Tuesday runoff between Keisha Lance Bottoms, who is black, and Mary Norwood, who is white, split Atlanta practically in half after a vitriolic campaign. Unofficial results showed Bottoms leading with 46,464 votes, or 50.41 percent, to Norwood’s 45,705 votes, or 49.59 percent.
Election officials say a recount could happen next week if Norwood formally requests one. Results could be certified as soon as Saturday. Norwood would then have 48 hours to request the recount, which could take about three hours to complete.