Had all gone to plan, two of the three candidates for the District Four council seat would be moving on to the general election. But the two top vote-getters, Brenda Monarrez and J. “Brack” Marquette — and the apparent third place finisher, Barry Saturday — are likely to wind up in court instead.
The reason: At least two precincts in the district received incorrect paper ballots on Tuesday, a mistake that wasn't caught until four hours later, after more than 70 people had voted using the wrong ballots.
Further complicating matters is that the second and third place finishers were separated by fewer than 50 votes, putting the outcome of the race into question. The candidate who finishes second will be on the ballot in the fall. The third place finisher will not.
Fayette County Clerk Don Blevins told the Lexington Herald-Leader it's not a matter that a recount will solve, and so it will likely need to be sorted out by the justice system.
