Final Tally Proclaims a Different Winner

Steven Morris (Courtesy Of Steven Morris)

Provisional ballots cast in the Nov. 7 general election have reversed the outcome of the Prince George's County District 4 Board of Education race, according to unofficial final election results.

The final count left Linda T. Thomas with an 885-vote lead over her opponent, Steven Morris, according to Robert J. Antonetti, the county's interim elections administrator. In unofficial results released the day after the election, Morris had a 285-vote lead over Thomas.

The change came during the counting of roughly 9,000 provisional ballots, a process that took a week. Provisional ballots, which are given to people who might not be on a voting precinct's rolls, are slow to be counted because election workers have to investigate each one to ensure that the person is allowed to vote.

"Well, I guess you can say I'm very disappointed for obvious reasons," said Morris, a retired educator who was favored to win because he received the backing of the Democratic Party, particularly state senators, in the nonpartisan race. "I am hurt, but, you know, that's about it. I gave it a good run. I did the best I could do."

Thomas, a former elementary school principal who protested the Democrats' involvement in the race, said her victory "spoke volumes to the fact that the senators don't control everything. . . . I think I'm the one person who doesn't have allegiance to anybody but her people."