Councilman won't contest Winterville race where some people improperly voted

A town councilman says he will not contest losing the race by one vote, even though ten people improperly cast ballots.

The Pitt County Board of Elections began going thru 1316 ballots in the Winterville council race at 9:00 a.m. Tuesday for a recount.

On election night incumbent John Hill was the unofficial winner by eight votes.

Following the canvassing of votes last week, including provisional and absentee ballots, his challenger, Ricky Hines, was declared the winner by one vote.

Now it has been discovered that some people who live outside of the town voted.

Those votes came from people in one neighborhood, that according to the town, was developed in 2015 and has yet to be annexed into the city limits, but were allowed to vote in the municipal elections.

Pitt County Board of Elections Director Dave Davis says 10 votes came out of that area and they cannot be separated and uncounted.

Hill said Tuesday afternoon that he would not contest the results. "The votes are still not right, but I'm not going to out Mr Hines and the 10 people through the process of protests and possible court hearings." said Hill is a statement to WITN. "I'm still upset with the system and what happened, but I'm going to concede to Mr Hines."

A town council race in Winterville that is separated by just one vote and headed for a recount, had some people vote that shouldn't have.

On election night incumbent John Hill was the unofficial winner by eight votes.

Following the canvassing of votes last week, including provisional and absentee ballots, his challenger, Ricky Hines, was declared the winner by just one vote.

Now it has been discovered that some people who live outside of the town limits voted and they shouldn't have.

Hill says, "I was ready to resign myself that Mr. Hines had won, and I was happy with that, when word started coming out that people had voted who did not live within town. Flags started going on for me."

Those votes came from people in one neighborhood, that according to the town, was developed in 2015 and has yet to be annexed into the city limits, but were allowed to vote in the municipal elections.

Pitt County Board of Elections Director Dave Davis says 10 votes came out of that area and they cannot be separated and uncounted.

Davis says, "Election day ballots are a secret ballot, we don't know whose ballot is whose."

But Hill says he'll go through the process and will ask for a recount on Tuesday

Hill says, "After that I think we have a really good case for a protest. Of course not because of Mr. Hines and my desire for the community, but more importantly because of the principle of the matter."

Hines, who now stands the winner, agrees with Hill, saying, "He deserves to know and to make sure and his constituents also, or the people who voted for him."

The recount is slated for Tuesday morning at 9:00 a.m.

Elsewhere, Carteret County will recount votes next Monday for the Pine Knoll Shores council seat that ended in a tie, and for one Morehead City town council seat.

Lenoir County will not recount Kinston's town council race between Kristal Suggs and Nathan Perry. Suggs will win the seat.