Election certified; Moore declared winner
Turnout heavy; margin is only 11 votes

Mark Moore (left) gets an understanding of how the election will be certified from Superintendent of Elections Jim Burton.

Supervisor of Elections Judge Jim Burton has now certified that Mark A. Moore is the winner in his bid to be the Democratic nominee for Sheriff of Wilkes County.

The results could not be certified until Friday, August 8, when all provisional ballots could be confirmed, and any outstanding military absentee ballots were due. Four provisional ballots were confirmed, and those voters were split 2-2 between the candidates. No more military ballots were returned

Final results show that longtime Wilkes deputy Moore has edged out Sisson, the county’s chief deputy and acting sheriff, by a vote of 1,416 to 1,405.

Provisional ballots are those ballots cast, but which could not be confirmed on election day. Absentee ballots must have been postmarked by Tuesday to be counted, but had until Friday to arrive at the registrar’s office.

The voter turnout in Wilkes County was remarkable for a runoff. More than 48 percent of eligible voters -- some 2,746 out of 5,877 -- cast ballots Tuesday.

The ultimate winner of Tuesday’s runoff for the Democratic nomination for Wilkes Co. Sheriff will face Republican Jeff Johnson in the November General Election.

In the only other issue on the ballot, Wilkes voters mirrored voters throughout the state, picking Jim Martin over Vernon Jones by a large margin to be the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, facing Sen. Saxby Chambliss in the fall.