Election board certifies vote with Kasim Reed as Atlanta’s next mayor; recount expected

Election board certifies Atlanta mayor vote

ATLANTA — A Georgia elections board has certified the vote making former state Sen. Kasim Reed Atlanta’s mayor-elect.

Fulton County Elections director Barry Garner says that the board certified the election result Saturday.

With 84,383 votes cast on Tuesday, Reed beat city councilwoman Mary Norwood by 715 votes, a margin of less than 1 percent. The Associated Press has not called the race because Georgia law automatically grants a recount request when the margin is less than 1 percent.

Norwood’s campaign manager Roman Levitt say the campaign plans to request a recount Monday.

If Reed’s win is confirmed after the recount, he will take Mayor Shirley Franklin’s place on Jan. 4.