District 28 outcome to be decided later today

The outcome of the Special May Primary Republican House District 28 election will be decided later today.

The delay comes after the total number of provisional ballots throughout the district exceeded the winning three-vote difference.

On Tuesday, the race between House Republican Incumbent Dan Gasaway and Republican challenger businessman Chris Erwin ended with a three-vote difference, with Erwin just slightly ahead of Gasaway by a total vote of 3,516 to Gasaway’s 3,513.

In Stephens and Habersham counties, Gasaway secured more than 59 percent of the vote; however, Erwin took Banks County, by receiving more than 59 percent of the vote.

There are 15 provisional ballots throughout the three counties, but Habersham County had the majority with 10 provisional ballots.

In Stephens County, there were only three provisional ballots, and in Banks County, a total of two.

The Habersham County Registrar’s office told WNEG News on Wednesday they expected all ten provisional ballots to be cleared and counted by Wednesday night.

WNEG News reached out to Habersham County Registrar’s office Thursday to confirm if they had cleared and counted those ballots.

According to officials with the Habersham County Registrar’s Office, they were able to clear and count those ballots; but, they would not make a public statement until after the Board of Electors meet today.

Stephens County Registrar Bill Cochran said of their three provisional ballots in the District 28 race, one had to do with an address issue, another who voted out of precinct, and one where no record of the voter’s registration could be found.

And, in Banks County, their provisional ballots had to do with voters who had moved, since the May Primary, to a new address within the county and had not sent in a change of address to their office.

WNEG News will bring you the final vote count once all ballots in the three counties have been certified.