A lawyer for Sanders had filed an appeal of Circuit Judge William H. Rhea III’s ruling that tossed out about 30 absentee ballots, which changed the outcome of the races for mayor and two town council seats, but Sanders' lawyer has withdrawn the appeal.
Top vote-getter Ethel Sprouse now will face Jimmy Wallace in the runoff for mayor; incumbent Billie Burkhalter wins her bid for District 1 council seat without a runoff with lawyer Evan Smith; and Lenora McWhorter, a retired teacher, wins the District 2 seat instead of Sanders.
In his ruling on a lawsuit filed by Wallace, Burkhalter and McWhorter, Rhea said the town’s election manager, DeLana Martin, did not follow the law when she allowed “applications for absentee ballots to be picked up by various individuals.”
Steve Lay, who was in the runoff for mayor before the absentee votes were discounted, died before the judge’s ruling.
Two other runoff races for council were not challenged. Mayor Martha Baker faces Jack Bond for the District 3 post and Tammy Crane faces Mark Hicks for the District 4 seat.
Council may set a runoff date at its Nov. 10 meeting.
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