District 50 recount confirms Hatchett win, Hall concedes
News August 31, 2020
HIAWASSEE, Ga – The recount of the August 11 runoff confirmed the original results with Bo Hatchett winning the majority of the vote. He even picked up a few in some counties.
Stacy Hall, who requested a recanvassing, announced that he had conceded the race just before 8 p.m. on social media.
“With nearly 25,000 votes cast and only 38 votes separating us, today’s recount confirmed it was a very competitive race but it’s time to put the campaign to rest. I’m incredibly grateful for the dozens of committed volunteers who worked so hard throughout my campaign and for the thousands of voters who put their trust and confidence in me. A special thank you to my wife, Ivy Copeland Hall and my family who stood beside me through it all. I am proud to have run a campaign of integrity anchored by issues and facts.”
All eight counties in District 50 began recounting ballots on Monday, August 31 at 9 a.m.
Hatchett declared victory on August 18, week after the runoff election, but Hall held firm to his right for a recount given the narrow margin separating the two candidates.
The recount revealed that Hatchett picked up a few votes in Towns (2) and Franklin (2). The only county Hatchett carried was his home county of Habersham. Hall also lives in Habersham and serves as Commission Chair. However, Hatchett’s landslide win in Habersham was enough to propel him over the top.
Hall also lost a vote in Banks County.
Now, Hatchett will move forward to the General Election in November. He will face Democrat Dee Daley for State Senator John Wilkinson’s seat. Wilkinson opted to run for Georgia House District Nine and lost in the primary. Andrew Clyde won the runoff in that race and will face Democrat Devin Pandy.
State senate recount on Monday, Hall claims ballot mishandling
Business August 29, 2020
HIAWASSEE, Ga – Georgia State Senate District 50 recount will occur on Monday, August 31, across all eight counties.
The recount will include all ballots from the August 11 runoff with counties beginning at 9 a.m. District 50 includes Franklin, Habersham, Towns, Rabun, Stephens, and Banks counties and parts of Hall and Jackson counties.
Secretary of State certified the runoff election on August 26 with Habersham attorney Bo Hatchett winning 12,492 (50.07%) votes to Stacy Hall’s 12,455 (49.93%). The 37-vote (.16 percent) difference fell within the less than one half of one percent of the total votes cast margin needed to Hall to request a recount.
“Under O.C.G.A. § 21-2-495, a recount can be requested by the second-place candidate if the difference in votes between the winning candidate and second-place candidate is not more than 0.5% of the total votes cast in the race.” – Secretary of State release.
In Hall’s official request issued on August 26 to the Secretary of State, he cited the Georgia code and asserted absentee ballots’ mishandling in Stephens County.
“I can confirm that many voters who requested absentee ballots never received them while others received absentee ballots as late as Monday prior to the election, making it impossible to meet the deadline. Many of these voters were elderly or had medical conditions and were either advised not to vote in-person due to COVID or were not physically able to,” Hall’s request read.
Copy of recount question
Hall asks the Secretary of State to take immediate action into the matter of “disenfranchised voters” who couldn’t practice their right to vote due to extenuating circumstances.
Towns County Sheriff’s race also had a request for a recount, which will take place at the same time.
Hall committed to staying in the race until every vote is counted
Featured, Featured News, Featured Stories, News August 12, 2020
HIAWASSEE, Ga – The question of who will be the Republican nominee for Georgia Senate District 50 is still unanswered following Tuesday night’s runoff election. With 100 percent reporting, only 34 votes separate candidates Stacy Hall and Bo Hatchett, and Hall’s pledged to remain in the race until all votes are in.
Each candidate held the lead at some point on election night, but the latest total favored Hatchett. Around midnight on Tuesday, Hall announced to his followers on social media that his campaign would be canvasing every board of elections office to ensure all votes were counted.
Friends,
Given the very few votes that separate my opponent and me, we believe the most prudent thing is to canvass the…Posted by VOTE STACY HALL on Tuesday, August 11, 2020
Hall won seven out of the eight District 50 counties. His current vote total is 12,448 (49.93%). Hatchett has received 12,482 (50.07%). Both are from Habersham County, which Hatchett carried with 63 percent of the vote. Hall also serves as Habersham Commission Chair.
On Wednesday at 4 p.m., he announced that his campaign has confirmed that “there are still absentee, provisional, and overseas ballots still to be counted.”
The number of outstanding votes outweighs the current margin of difference in votes between Hall and Hatchett.
“I appreciate everyone’s patience as we await the final tally. Ivy and I remain incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support and well wishes,” said Hall.
The candidate believes he owes it the process and to the voters to make sure every vote is counted.
Once all the votes are counted, if less a percentage difference remains, candidates can call for a recount.
As for Hatchett, he and his campaign “feel good about where we are, this race was very competitive, and we don’t have final results yet. We believe the people in each election commission office will do their due diligence to ensure every vote is counted.”
Though we feel good about where we are, this race was very competitive and we don’t have final results yet. We believe…
Posted by Bo Hatchett for State Senate on Wednesday, August 12, 2020
The Cornelia lawyer also thanked his supporters for helping him to run a “positive campaign.” Hatchett also hoped that the tight District 50 race reminds “ALL fellow Republicans that every vote truly matters.”
See Towns County vote totals, here.