Sanford sets Sept. 7 for District 18 runoff

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Sanford ordered the new runoff date for District 18 voters on Tuesday, in response to a request from Conway Belangia, director of the county Election Commission. Belangia has said the date would give him time to get the election certified and mail out absentee ballots.

The new runoff election follows the June 8 primary that saw three Republican candidates and a subsequent runoff between incumbent councilman Steve Selby and challenger Tony Trout.

That ended with Trout ahead by 18 votes, but Selby challenged the results based on alleged illegal voters, including a felon, at least one person who voted twice and several who had already voted in the Democratic primary.

The dispute eventually involved the Republican Party, the state Supreme Court, the state Election Commission and the governor.

The state GOP ordered a new runoff while the Supreme Court declined to hear Trout's appeal. The Election Commission decided on a voter pool — anyone who did not vote in the June 8 Democratic primary.

The governor's order was the final stroke Tuesday, setting the date for the latest polling round that will be open even to district residents who haven't yet voted in the race.