Election workers getting ready for recounts

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Election workers spent Wednesday morning reviewing provisional ballots for the State House District 15 race.

Jay Fant leads Paul Renner by three votes.  The race is set for a recount, which will take place Friday.

Supervisor of Elections Jerry Holland said election leaders anticipated a close race, but not one this close.  The margin is a bit of a surprise, said Holland.

"Things could still change," said Holland.  "We're talking about 14,000 ballots that still need to be re-run and that could still change," he added.

Holland said he wants to give provisional voters the right to file a challenge if their ballots are rejected. The process isn't cheap, anywhere from $80,000 to $100,000. Fant leads Renner by only three votes.

Action News received statements from both the Fant and Renner campaigns on Thursday.

Renner says his camp will move forward with the recount process, noting that the vote count could change.

Fant's campaign tells Action News they will congratulate their opponent and are looking forward to the conclusion of the recount.

There will also be a recount in the School Board District 2 race to determine who will be in a runoff.  Scott Shine leads by a big margin, but only three votes separate Sam Hall and Theresa Graham for second place. District 2 covers the Beaches and some nearby areas.

WJAX