Alabama Supreme Court rules sheriff’s race ended in tie nearly four years after election
“Accordingly, we reverse the trial court’s judgment and remand the case for further proceedings consistent with this opinion."
Mason Reed 
Nearly four years after the polls closed, the Alabama Supreme Court has reignited a legal battle over the 2022 Conecuh County sheriff's race. In a significant ruling handed down on Friday, the high court reversed a previous circuit court decision that had crowned Randy Brock the winner, officially declaring the contest a tie.
A Legal Deadlock
The 41-page opinion concludes that the election resulted in a deadlock, with both current Sheriff Randy Brock and challenger Maxwell “Mike” Blackmon receiving 2,226 votes apiece. The court has remanded the case back to the lower court for further proceedings, effectively nullifying the original certification that gave Brock a two-vote victory in a 2022 recount.
Chief Justice Sarah Stewart and Justices Greg Shaw and Tommy Bryan formed the majority, while Justices William Sellers and Brady Mendheim issued a dissent. Justices Kelli Wise, Greg Cook, and Will Parker recused themselves from the case.
The Disputed Ballots
The controversy stems from a lawsuit filed by Blackmon, who challenged the results after the recount put Brock ahead by a narrow 2,228 to 2,226 margin. Central to the dispute were two ballots where voters had scribbled over the Democratic party logo instead of marking the designated straight-ticket bubble.
While the circuit court initially permitted those votes, the Supreme Court pushed back, noting that those same voters successfully navigated the ballot elsewhere. The justices argued that counting the defaced ballots would require “too much speculation” regarding voter intent. “If those voters did intend to cast such a vote, it is unfortunate that their ballots must be excluded, but that unfortunate result is the consequence of their own choices not to follow the instructions printed at the top of their ballots,” the court stated.
Moving Forward
The political landscape has shifted significantly since the 2022 election. Blackmon recently competed in this year’s GOP primary, where he earned 38.7% of the vote against William Randal Cleveland Brown, who secured the nomination with 61.2% support. Meanwhile, Brock is currently seeking re-election in the upcoming November general election. Attempts to contact Brock for comment were unsuccessful.
