NASHVILLE, Ga. — It took three elections, but voters in Berrien County have finally picked a sheriff.

Unofficial results from Tuesday night’s runoff race showed incumbent interim Sheriff Ray Paulk with 1,894 votes against challenger Frank Swanson’s 746, said elections chief Melanie Ray. The runoff was to decide the winner of one of two simultaneous sheriff’s elections held by the county in November, a situation caused by federal charges against a former sheriff plus unusual timing.

The results are unofficial because, while totals from all five precincts were in as of 9 p.m., provisional vote totals won’t be available until Friday, Ray said. The Georgia Advocacy Office website defines a “provisional” vote as one cast by someone whose name does not appear on the voter lists at the polling place; a “provisional vote” isn’t counted until the voter’s eligibility can be confirmed.

A combination of federal criminal charges and interesting timing resulted in Berrien County holding two simultaneous elections for sheriff Nov. 8.

Former sheriff Anthony Heath was forced out of office in June after he pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of civil rights violations. Chief Deputy Paulk took over as interim sheriff.

If there had been less than six months left in Heath’s term, no special election would have been needed under state law and the chief deputy would serve out the term, according to a statement from the Georgia Secretary of State’s office.

Heath was removed from office one day before the six-month window would have kicked in, Ray said, forcing the county into a special election to pick a sheriff to finish out the remainder of Heath’s term — which, after the election, would amount to about a couple of months.

The sheriff’s post was already up for a vote in the regularly scheduled general elections of Nov. 8 for the new term beginning Jan. 1. The result: both the special election to fill out the few weeks left in Heath’s term and the “regular” election for a new sheriff had to be held on the same day.

Paulk won the special election against two opponents, carrying 55 percent of the vote; but in the regular election, facing four opponents, there was no clear-cut winner. Paulk had the most votes, but fell just short of the 50 percent plus one required to win, forcing a runoff with Swanson, the candidate with the second-most votes.

Terry Richards is senior reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times.