State Board To Consider New Election In Trinity

Another North Carolina city is finding itself in election turmoil. This time it's Trinity, just south of High Point.

The November election in Trinity was pretty dramatic. The state legislature trimmed the size of its city council last year and only one seat was up for grabs.

The top contenders for the at-large seat were former councilmember Tommy Johnson and Linda Gantt, whose ward seat was eliminated by the legislature.

That race was extremely tight and ended in a tie – but the political theater doesn't end there. Johnson claimed another former council member - Karen Bridges - had voted even though she had moved away before the election. And, Johnson argued, Bridges had publicly supported Gantt.

He filed a complaint with the Randolph County Board of Elections. It sided with Johnson. Now, the board has asked the state to hold a new election to resolve the matter. The issue is on the agenda for the state board's Friday meeting.

Trinity was one of two local cities where the state made changes like this. The other is Greensboro. That's led to federal case that will be heard this summer.