May 3—No runoff election will be needed to determine the remaining member of the Jackson Town Council.

Mayor Todd Etheredge and Clerk Bonnie Stikeleather confirmed Tuesday afternoon former Town Councilman Kenneth Teuton won the April 25 election by one vote over Eric Weathersbee.

Teuton said he was very fortunate and blessed to win election to the Jackson Town Council.

According to the unofficial results, Teuton received 142 votes to Weathersbee's 141 votes to join Mike Bates, who received 207 votes and Clay Holley, who received 206 votes as winners of the three-way council election.

Initially, the town reported a runoff would be needed to determine the third seat due to a misunderstanding of state law that resulted from a change to how the town elects its council members.

Etheredge said the town council voted to change its method of election of council members from a plurality (the candidates with the three highest vote totals win) to a majority requirement (the candidates have to receive at least a majority of the votes cast to win, otherwise there's a runoff election between the candidates with the two highest vote totals).

Stikeleather said the town initially determined the number to have a majority of votes by dividing the number of ballots cast (each voter could vote for up to three candidates), 292, by two and adding one to get a total of 147 votes to have a majority.

However, state law requires the number of votes cast in the race, 773, to be divided by the number of seats up for election, three, and then by two and adding one which results in a total of 123 votes to have a majority.