Kelsey Marletta will be Radford’s next commissioner of the revenue after she narrowly beat Angel Turpin in a race that was too tight to call on election night.
On election night, Nov. 4, there was a 57-vote margin between the two candidates. On Wednesday, the city’s electoral board met to settle the provisional ballots, and the totals narrowed to just 34 votes between Marletta, a Democrat, and Turpin, a Republican, according to Lindsey Williams, Radford’s director of elections and general registrar.
The unofficial vote totals on Wednesday were 2,239, or 50%, for Marletta, and 2,205 for Turpin, who had 49.32%.
In Virginia, a recount can be requested when the margin between candidates is 1% or less. It must be filed within 10 days of the election results being certified.
The vote totals remain unofficial until approved by the Virginia Department of Elections. Williams said she has submitted the numbers to the department.
Provisional ballots are a way for people to cast ballots when their registration or qualifications are in question, such as when someone registers to vote on Election Day, according to the Virginia Department of Elections. They are allowed to vote, and then election officials work to determine whether they are qualified.
Of the provisional ballots, 170 were approved and just four were denied, Williams said.
Marletta is a Radford University adjunct professor and former city schools employee, while Turpin is a 27-year deputy clerk in the Radford circuit court clerk’s office.
Current Commissioner Cathy Flinchum is retiring at the end of the year.