Pinellas School Board Race Triggers Recount With Seven-Vote Margin
In Pinellas County, Florida, a school board race is heading to a recount after the margin between candidates Nancy Bostock and Amanda Lord narrowed to just seven votes. Initial unofficial results showed Bostock leading by two votes, but a review…
Tampa St. Petersburg, FL, August 21, 2026 —
A close contest in the Pinellas County School Board race is prompting a mandatory recount following a narrowing margin between the two leading candidates. Nancy Bostock and Amanda Lord, whose race was initially separated by a slim two-vote difference in unofficial results, now find themselves with a seven-vote gap, triggering a review of the election outcome.
The initial unofficial tally showed Bostock with a two-vote advantage. However, subsequent reviews of mail-in ballots and provisional ballots cast in the election have revised the margin to seven votes in favor of Bostock. This slight shift has significant implications under Florida election law.
According to state statutes, a machine recount is mandated in any election where the margin between the closest two candidates is less than 0.5%. The current seven-vote difference falls within this threshold, necessitating the recount process to ensure the accuracy of the final vote count.
The specifics regarding the timeline for the recount, the precise number of ballots reviewed, and the exact total votes for each candidate were not immediately available. The contractor responsible for conducting the recount was also not identified in the available information. Further details regarding the process and the final certified results are expected to be released as the recount progresses.
Story summarized from the original created by By Jeffrey S. Solochek, Times staff on www.tampabay.com, see more information here.
