No major changes occurred following the official canvass of votes Tuesday by the Ashe County Board of Elections. Supervisor John Shepherd noted several additional votes due to provisional ballots, but they did not alter the outcome of the municipal elections.

In West Jefferson, final vote count is 125 for Calvin Greene, 114 for Stephen Shoemaker and 106 for Lester Mullis. There were 214 votes and two provisionals in West Jefferson out of 1,065 registered voters.

The count did not change in Jefferson where all three incumbents were re-elected. Aldermen Mark Johnston (39), Gwen Ashley (39) and Bluferd Eldreth (36) were all returned to their seats without challenge in an election that had 41 of the town’s 1,092 registered voters going to the polls.

In Lansing, the board of aldermen is yet to be finalized. There were five seats up for election; three four-year terms, and two two-year unexpired terms. The final count is 36 for Bill Cline, 34 for Mauvine Shepherd and 27 for George Rembert III for the four-year seats, and 38 for Brenda Reeves and 2 write-in votes for Terry Paisley for the two-year terms. Both unexpired two-year seats will be up for election again in 2011 as four-year terms. Lansing had 47 of the town’s 129 registered voters going to the polls, along with two provisionals.

Paisley has yet to announce whether he will or will not serve on the board. Shepherd said that he will need to inform the Lansing Board of Aldermen of his decision either verbally or in writing by the swearing in date.

Shepherd said that aldermen cannot be sworn in before the first Monday in December. West Jefferson meets the first Monday, Lansing the second Monday and Jefferson the fourth Monday of each month.

Shepherd attended the Lansing board meeting on Monday night to explain the situation with the town’s election. Aldermen serve a four-year term. If an alderman resigns before his or her term is up, the seat is usually filled with a board appointee. The seat becomes an unexpired term until the scheduled four-year term is reached and the appointee or any eligible candidate may seek election to that seat in the two-year interval. Or in the case of Terry Paisley, a write-in candidate may be elected.