Austin City Council election certified as a tie

Andrew Harp, The Evening News and the Tribune, Jeffersonville, Ind.
·1 min read

Dec. 18—SCOTTSBURG — There was a sense of relief from everyone after the Austin City Council District 3 representative election was certified after a recount.

A public hearing was Monday at the Scott County Circuit Court building in Scottsburg.

At the end of the general election in November, it was determined there was a tie between Democrat Staci Mullins and Republican James Shelton. Both received 107 votes.

Considering this, Shelton and Scott County Republican Party Chairman Kenneth Hughbanks filed a civil case in Scott County Circuit Court shortly after the election to request a recount.

Attorney Gordon Ingle represented Mullins while attorney Larry Wilder represented Shelton. Mullins and Shelton were in attendance, but Hughbanks was not.

Together, for about an hour, they counted all of the absentee votes to ensure there were no discrepancies. Once these votes were counted and it was determined it lined up with the original counts, Wilder consulted with Shelton, and Wilder said that they would not challenge anything about the recount, and accept the tie.

The election results were certified by Judge Jason Mount.

The Austin City Council will meet at 9 a.m. Thursday at city hall to vote between Mullins and Shelton. The council has five members, all Democrats.