SOUTH TALLAHASSEE, FL (WTXL) \u2014 Election staff in Tallahassee are recounting more than 40,000 ballots in the City Commission Seat 3 race, where only 14 votes separate candidates Tom Derzypolski and Talethia Edwards as they compete for a spot in the November runoff.<\/p>\n
WATCH FULL REPORT BELOW:<\/p>\n
Tallahassee Seat 3 recount to determine next step in City Commission race<\/p>\n
Over 2,100 blank ballots exist in the race, a number that could prove significant given the narrow margin.<\/p>\n
Every ballot that has the Seat 3 race on it is being run back through the machines. <\/p>\n
Clearly marked votes are counted again, while blank, overvoted, or ambiguous ballots are set aside for possible manual review.<\/p>\n
The canvassing board and election staff spent Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. working through the recount. <\/p>\n
They are set to resume Sunday, with a state deadline of 3:00 p.m. to produce a second set of unofficial results.<\/p>\n
If the margin remains within a quarter of a percentage point after that second count, the board will move to a manual recount Monday, reviewing ballots the machines could not clearly count.<\/p>\n
Community member Kim O’Connor watched the recount process firsthand Saturday. For her, the 14-vote margin underscores why participation matters.<\/p>\n
“We’ve come too far to abandon our sacred right to vote,” O’Connor said.<\/p>\n
O’Connor said she has one pressing question as the recount continues.<\/p>\n
“You know, is the recount going to change things or not?” O’Connor said.<\/p>\n
She said the closeness of the race is motivation to keep encouraging others to show up at the polls.<\/p>\n
“Be registered to vote, and then try to keep a network of like 10 of your friends, call 10 of your friends on election day and say, Did you vote?” O’Connor said.<\/p>\n
The results produced by Sunday’s deadline at 3:00 p.m. will determine what comes next in the race.<\/p>\n
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.<\/p>\n
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