No runoff to be held for Miller

In a change from an election night (May 4) position, Alleghany Director of Elections Kate Cosner said late last week that she was informed by the North Carolina State Board of Elections that a county commissioners race was not eligible for a runoff.

Cosner had noted that night that the race appeared eligible for a runoff on the Democrat ticket, on the written request of County Commissioner Randy Miller, vice chairman of the board, who was bested by fellow incumbent Milly Richardson by eight votes. Miller was within six votes after the canvass on Tuesday, the results of which appear in a related story on this page. However, upon further research, Cosner said the executive director for the state board, Gary Bartlett, informed her that a formula used by the state for cases of 'substantial plurality' does not allow the runoff.

According to state law, the plurality factor is determined by "dividing the total vote cast for all aspirants by the number of positions to be filled and multiplying the result by 40 percent. Any excess of the sum so ascertained shall be the substantial plurality."