SALISBURY, MD – The Salisbury mayoral race remains on a knife's edge as the Board of Elections deals with a significant number of uncounted mail-in and provisional ballots. With just a razor-thin margin separating the top two candidates, the final outcome hangs in the balance.
Counting Still Remains
The Board of Elections estimates that approximately 265 mail-in and provisional ballots have yet to be tallied.
Of the 265, the Board of Elections says there are 225 mail-in votes and 40 provisional votes.
The mail-in ballots are slated to remain uncounted until Thursday at 10 a.m., while the provisional ballots face an even longer wait, with their counting scheduled for next Friday, November 17.
Also next Friday, the Board of Elections will tally any remaining mail-in ballots that may come in that are postmarked by Election Day, November 7.
Narrow Gap Separating Leading Candidates
As of the latest election results from Tuesday night, which includes all same-day, in-person election results, Randy Taylor maintains a narrow lead with 1,032 votes, while Megan Outten closely trails behind with 976 votes. A mere 56 votes separate the two front-runners, setting the stage for an uncertain outcome.
Counting the Uncounted Ballots
Dionne Church, the Director of the Wicomico Board of Elections, emphasized that the race's results could change due to the yet-to-be-counted ballots. She explained, "Currently we count any mail-in ballots that come into our office 2 days after the election and then our canvas is 10 days after the election, which then we are expected to certify the election."
Candidate Reactions
Despite the uncertainty, Randy Taylor, the current leading vote-getter, remains optimistic. Taylor said "We had a great campaign, we're glad it's over with, and we're excited for the opportunity to lead Salisbury in a new direction."
Megan Outten conveyed her pride in her campaign's efforts and eagerly anticipates the final count. She said, "I look forward to seeing the final count and who Salisbury has chosen to be their next Mayor."
Jermichael Mitchell, currently in third place, acknowledged the likelihood of not securing victory this time but said he intends to run again in four years.
A Challenging Path for Outten
With 225 mail-in ballots and 40 provisional ballots still awaiting counting, Outten faces a steep uphill battle to overtake Taylor's lead. Historically, mail-in and provisional ballots have slightly differed from in-person voting. In 2019, Mayor Jake Day underperformed in the mail-in and provisional vote compared to his in-person vote.
Political Implications
If Randy Taylor emerges victorious, it would serve as something of a political earthquake for the City. Taylor would become Salisbury's first right-leaning mayor in several decades. Although Salisbury's elections are non-partisan, Taylor is a registered Republican, potentially signaling an ideological split with most members of the city council.
April Jackson, the current council president, expressed a desire to avoid a contentious relationship between the new mayor and the council, emphasizing the importance of working collaboratively for the betterment of the city.