Ron Smith has won another term as Mayor of Scottsville, and he won by a narrow margin — just six votes separated him from his challenger, current Scottsville Town Councilor Edward Payne Jr.

Smith received 128 total votes to Payne’s 122.

Official results from the Nov. 5 election came in just last week, said Scottsville Town Administrator Javier Raudales, who received the official tallies from Albemarle and Fluvanna county electoral boards on Nov. 25. (The Town of Scottsville is situated in both counties.)

Results don’t usually take that long. But this year’s election was a little different, Clara Belle Wheeler, vice-chair of the Albemarle County Board of Elections, told Charlottesville Tomorrow in an email Nov. 19. 

This election had a high number of voters, as well as same-day registrations and provisional ballots. Provisional ballots are used to vote on Election Day if a voter registered that day or had some other reason that their registration was in question. Registrars’ offices must then verify the voter’s eligibility and then count the vote.

On Nov. 6, Smith was ahead by an even slimmer margin — two votes. That day, the count had 120 for Smith, and 118 for Payne. But the registrars still needed to count provisional ballots, and any mail-in ballots that were postmarked by Election Day, but that arrived after.

That’s why the results were delayed, Wheeler said. 

There were no provisional ballots cast in the Scottsville area of Fluvanna County, according to the Virginia Department of Elections website. But there were 11 cast in Albemarle County. Of those voters, four voted for Payne, and seven for Smith.

Albemarle County also received one post-election ballot, and that vote went to Smith.

Mayor wasn’t the only position on Scottsville voters’ ballots this year — there were three open Town Council seats, too.

Incumbent Alex Bessette was elected to another term on the Council, alongside newcomers Roger Whitley and Walter Townsend.

Bessette was the only candidate whose name appeared on the ballot, and he received 165 votes. Whitley and Townsend ran as write-in candidates and received 47 and 57 votes, respectively.  

Smith said he is looking forward to serving alongside the new Councilors.

“I hope that we can continue being a place that people want to visit, and a place that people would like to be — a place where they’re raising their families,” he said.