By Louie Graves
News-Leader staff
Challenger Brent Pinkerton defeated incumbent County Judge Kevin Smith 650-346 in the runoff election for county judge last week.
County Clerk Keri Teague said Monday that some absentee ballots had yet to be counted, and that she expected the vote totals to be certified this week.
Vote counts are by Election System Software, she said.
Judge Smith led voting in the Preferential Primary Election where voting was Smith, 762, Pinkerton, 575, John Maines, 456, and Steve Nation, 210.
Voting in the precincts in the City of Mineral Springs was affected by a vigorous race for mayor on the Democrat ballot. Persons who voted in that race did not participate in the Preferential Primary or in the runoff, both of which were for Republican voters only.
Pinkerton picked up support from the two candidates that did not make the runoff, and Smith supporters did not get out in the same numbers as in the primary. Smith led voting in eight of the county’s original precincts, but the larger precincts supported Pinkerton.
Voting by precincts in the runoff election:
Umpire
Smith 4
Pinkerton 28
Burg
Smith 3
Pinkerton 3
Mountain
Smith 7
Pinkerton 18
Clay
Smith 0
Pinkerton 12
Blue Ridge
Smith 1
Pinkerton 8
Madison
Smith 14
Pinkerton 44
Holly Creek
Smith 6
Pinkerton 36
Muddy Fork
Smith 1
Pinkerton 14
Brewer
Smith 22
Pinkerton 57
Center Point 1
Smith 13
Pinkerton 19
Center Point 2
Smith 8
Pinkerton 7
Saline
Smith 5
Pinkerton 9
Blue Bayou
Smith 6
Pinkerton 6
County Line
Smith 23
Pinkerton 49
Dillard
Smith 9
Pinkerton 20
Nashville Ward 1
Smith 42
Pinkerton 31
Nashville Ward 2
Smith 3
Pinkerton 9
Nashville Ward 3
Smith 3
Pinkerton 1
Nashville Ward 4
Smith 8
Pinkerton 5
Nashville Ward 5
Smith 31
Pinkerton 36
Nashville Ward 6
Smith 16
Pinkerton 49
Nashville Township 1
Smith 73
Pinkerton 112
Nashville Township 2
Smith 18
Pinkerton 38
Mineral Springs Township
Smith 6
Pinkerton 4
Mineral Springs 1
Smith 0
Pinkerton 1
Mineral Springs 2
Smith 2
Pinkerton 6
Mineral Springs 3
Smith 3
Pinkerton 5
Buck Range
Smith 13
Pinkerton 10
Blackland
Smith 7
Pinkerton 2
Saratoga
Smith 2
Pinkerton 1
Franklin
Smith 5
Pinkerton 2
Dierks Ward 1
Smith 0
Pinkerton 4
Dierks Ward 2
Smith 2
Pinkerton 23
Dierks Ward 3
Smith 6
Pinkerton 31
Tollette
Smith 0
Pinkerton 0
Duckett
Smith 0
Pinkerton 0
Total without Absentee
Smith 346
Pinkerton 650