After nearly two weeks of vote tallying, Norfolk School Board member Carlos Clanton declared victory late Friday in the race for the 7th Superward City Council seat.
But Clanton leads opponent Phillip Hawkins by just 92 votes - less than a quarter of a percent of the vote total in the five-way race.
Hawkins posted on social media that he’ll start the process to request a recount Monday.
“Every single vote matters, and it’s essential that we ensure each vote is accurately counted and that the full legal process is honored,” he wrote.
Elections within a 1% margin are eligible for recount in Virginia, but they are not automatic. Candidates must request them.
The final tallying lasted until on Friday, as nearly 2,000 provisional ballots were verified in the days following the election.
The state election office’s certified election returns show more than 29,000 votes were cast in the crowded race.
A third candidate, school board member Rodney Jordan, also came within 1% of Clanton’s top vote total.
Hawkins will have to file a petition for a recount in Norfolk Circuit Court.
Per state law, a three-judge panel will then be appointed to oversee the recount process, which will hold a preliminary hearing within a week of the candidate filing for the recount.
Then, poll workers will run all the votes through the voting machines again and hand count any that can't be read.
