The Cherokee County elections board has certified the results of Tuesday’s special election, setting the stage for Republican Bill Fincher and Democrat Scott Sanders to compete in a runoff in January for former state Rep. Mandi Ballinger’s Georgia House District 23 seat.

The Cherokee County Board of Elections and Voter Registration unanimously voted Friday to certify the county’s results for the Dec. 9 election.

Included in the certified results are four provisional ballots that were approved.

Because no candidate received more than 50% of the vote, Fincher and Sanders, the top two vote-getters of the six-candidate field, will face off in a runoff election, set for Jan. 6.

According to the certified results, Fincher received 1,373 votes, or 27.4% and Sanders received 1,340 votes or 26.

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