The Collier County Supervisor of Elections Office will conduct vote recounts, Saturday, March 23, for the city of Naples mayoral race and one city council race that were too close to call after Tuesday's election.
Still, final results of the election may not be finalized until March 29.
Preliminary election results from Tuesday night have incumbent Mayor Teresa Heitmann leading challenger and former city councilman Gary Price by just 12 votes. Heitmann garnered 3,257 votes, or 38.1 percent of the vote, compared to 3,245 votes for Price or 38.1 percent of the vote.
Naples City Council candidate Berne Barton won the third highest number of votes in the city council race, but with only 33 more votes than fellow candidate Tony Perez-Benitoa. Barton won 3,677 votes, or 17.5 percent compared to Perez-Benitoa who won 3,644 votes, or 17.3 percent of the vote.
Former City Councilwoman Linda Penniman and newcomer Bill Kramer won their bids for seats on the Naples City Council, Tuesday. Mayoral candidate Ted Blankenship and city council candidates Garey Cooper and Nicholas Del Grosso were defeated.
A public notice from the Collier County Supervisor of Elections office says the Collier County Canvassing Board will officially order the recounts on Friday, March 22. State law requires a recount when the margin of victory is less than or equal to 0.5 percent of total votes cast.
A machine recount of ballots in both races is planned for 11 a.m., Saturday. Then a manual recount of the mayoral race is set for 4:15 p.m. and a manual recount of the city council election is set for 5 p.m.
Official certification is not expected until the canvasing board meets again on Friday, March 29, to review overseas Vote-By-Mail ballots.
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