Provisional Ballots Could Trigger Recount in Razor-Thin Marietta Mayor’s Race

MARIETTA — As election workers spent Friday afternoon processing provisional ballots, voters across Marietta were on edge — waiting to see whether one of the closest mayoral contests in the city’s history might be headed for a recount.

Unofficial results from Tuesday’s election show incumbent Mayor Steve “Thunder” Tumlin holding a slim 87-vote lead over challenger Sam Foster, a systems engineer who mounted a strong grassroots campaign. Tumlin has 6,762 votes (50.3%) to Foster’s 6,675 (49.7%) — a margin of just 0.64%.

That difference leaves the race within striking distance of the 0.5% threshold required by Georgia law to request a recount. For now, residents are waiting.

Provisional Ballots Could Tip the Scale
At a pre-certification meeting Friday, Acting Elections Director Michael D’Itri told the Cobb County Board of Elections and Registration that officials were still processing 220 provisional ballots from Election Day, plus several others from advance and mail voting.

Of those, 20 ballots belonged to voters within the city of Marietta. By mid-afternoon Friday, 14 provisional ballots were still pending while voters worked to “cure” eligibility issues before the 5 p.m. deadline. “We don’t know if they can be counted or not, but if they are counted, yes, they could affect the totals for certain contests,” D’Itri said.

While D’Itri said he did not believe the outcome of any race would change, he acknowledged the additional votes could make the mayor’s race eligible for a recount if the final margin drops below the 0.5% mark. Under Georgia law, a recount is not automatic but can be requested within two business days after results are certified — which the board plans to do Monday, Nov. 10th.

Candidates Urge Calm as City Waits
Both candidates have urged supporters to remain patient as the final ballots are reviewed.oster, who has already conceded publicly, said Thursday he does not expect a recount to change the outcome. “A loss is still a loss,” Foster said in a video posted to social media. “I called the mayor to congratulate him and told him I hope we can work together on some of the ideas we talked about during the campaign.”“I called the mayor to congratulate him and told him I hope we can work together on some of the ideas we discussed during the campaign.” Tumlin has not yet made a formal statement beyond thanking voters and encouraging unity.

A Test of Trust in Local Elections
The suspense in Marietta mirrors the mood in communities across Cobb County as elections officials work through a series of discrepancies, including missing precinct data, technical glitches in the voter credit system as well as publicly apologizing to voters who faced long lines and delays at the Thompson Community Center, where some reportedly left without voting. “On behalf of the board, I want to apologize to the voters … We will do better,” Elections Board Chair Tori Mosbacher said. For many, her statement underscored the lingering frustration of a tense election season.

“You’d think we’d have smoother elections by now,” said one Marietta voter. I’m glad they’re taking the time to double-check everyvoter. ballot. Trust in the process matters more than speed.”

What Comes Next
The Cobb Board of Elections will reconvene Monday to certify the results. If the final margin falls within the recount threshold, Foster will have two business days to request one.