TIFTON — A May school board election decided by only two votes in Tift County has been overturned by a judge, who has ordered a new election in November.

In the May 21 election, Marilyn Burks, the incumbent, won the District 1 seat by a razor-thin margin, defeating Ambrose King Jr. King said he reached out to a county elections official for an official recount but was refused, so he filed a lawsuit in Superior Court to force the issue.

Judge Howard McClain’s decision to invalidate the original vote was issued Aug. 31. The heard of it was the placement of an apartment complex in the wrong voting district. According to the judge’s order, Casey’s Court Apartments was inadvertently placed for voting purposes in District 6 when it should have been in District 1, meaning at least six voters — more than enough to swing the election — received an “irregular ballot” not dealing with the District 1 issue.

The judge’s order said a new election for the school board’s District 1 seat will take place Nov. 5 with the same candidates as before.

Aside from the apartment complex, the lawsuit claimed there were problems with votes unlawfully rejected, absentee vote irregularities and votes cast by people who live outside Tift County. Judge McClain’s order did not deal with these additional claims.

“I am thrilled and relieved,” King said. “The wrongful placing of the apartment complex in District 6 was the fault of Tift County.”

Burks could not be reached for comment.