REIDSVILLE, Ga. — A planned runoff for a city council seat in Reidsville was abruptly called off due to an oversight involving an unamended City Charter.

During the election held on November 4, incumbent Carolyn Blackshear narrowly edged out opponents Beitha Griffin and Nathaniel Joyce for the Ward 1, Post 2 position. Despite her lead, Blackshear didn’t secure over 50% of the vote, which initially necessitated a runoff against Griffin, her closest competitor.

The runoff was slated for December 2. However, it was subsequently canceled upon the realization that council members are actually elected by a plurality, not a majority as previously thought.

Under a majority rule, a candidate must earn at least 50% of the votes plus one. Blackshear garnered only 45.3%. In a plurality system, the candidate with the most votes wins, regardless of whether they reach the 50% threshold.

The requirement for a plurality vote system was established by an amendment passed in 2000, though it had not been updated in the City Charter.

Mayor Vickie Nail released a statement amid the confusion:

“Last night, I learned something that I had no knowledge of regarding our Charter.  While our City Charter hasn’t been formally updated in over 25 years, there was an amendment made in the year 2000 that was never properly added into the Charter. That missing update affected how we’ve handled voting for city offices.

I share your frustration that this was never amended to our charter.

Our city deserves transparency and accuracy in how it’s governed. I promise to keep you informed as we work through this, and to make sure our Charter reflects the law, and the Reidsville we are today.”

The city said it will work to ensure all records are updated to ensure accuracy.

No runoff will take place, and Blackshear was determined as the winner of the election.

Sarah Smith contributed to this report.