Just two votes. That's the margin currently separating the candidates in the race for Atlantic Beach City Commission Seat 4, an open seat with no incumbent on the ballot. The outcome still isn't settled.
The race has remained close as ballots were processed, according to News4JAX.
The county's results page lists the election totals. According to the Duval County election results summary, the totals exclude vote-by-mail cures and 10-day overseas ballots while including only partial provisional ballots. In other words, the numbers on the board right now are not the final word.
Why the Count Isn't Finished Yet
Holland has said the two-vote difference could still shift because ballots remain outstanding, and that a recount cannot even begin for at least 10 days, since mail-in ballots still need to be finalized first. Overseas military members and civilians have 10 days after Election Day for their mail-in ballots to arrive and be counted, per Holland's account relayed by the station's report.
There's also a short window for voters whose mail ballots were flagged. Voters whose vote-by-mail ballots were rejected may correct those issues by 5 p.m. Thursday.
What Florida Law Says About Recounts
Florida's recount rules are triggered by specific vote-margin thresholds once the count is finalized. An automatic mechanical recount kicks in when the finalized difference between candidates is within 0.5 percent, while the county canvassing board separately reviews ballots rejected for overvotes or undervotes when the margin is within 0.25 percent, with those overvote and undervote ballots typically coming from Election Day voting itself. Overvote ballots, by contrast, are generally rejected by machines during early voting.
Beyond the mechanical math, Florida Statute 102.166 requires a manual recount when second unofficial returns show a candidate defeated by one-quarter of 1 percent or less — unless the trailing candidate waives it, or the number of overvotes and undervotes is too small to change the result. For a race like this one that isn't multicounty, it's the county canvassing board that would order any manual recount. Whatever happens, the process has to happen in public: under Florida Statute 102.141, the canvassing board must publicly canvass provisional ballots in a building accessible to the public, with at least 48 hours' notice of board members, alternates, meeting time, and location.
Two Very Different Platforms
Herrold, a retired 63-year-old, has centered her campaign on infrastructure and public safety needs, long-term financial health for the city, and managing growth while preserving Atlantic Beach's character. Lagner, a 58-year-old facilities administrator, has instead pointed to growth and development, community character and quality of life, and infrastructure and resiliency as her top priorities — overlapping themes framed through different lenses.
For now, the final outcome of the Seat 4 race remains unresolved.
