SUFFOLK Election officials finished counting about 4,600 absentee ballots today, allowing for a final tally of results in the mayor’s race. The new numbers didn’t change the order of how the seven candidates finished. The winner, Linda Johnson, squeaked by Dwight Nixon in absentee ballots by a count of 1,140 to 1,131, adding to her sizeable lead from Tuesday night.

SUFFOLK Longtime council members Curtis Milteer Sr. and Leroy Bennett each won new terms for the City Council. Milteer, who has been on the council for 28 years, won in a landslide over Jay Quigley in the rural Whaleyville District. Bennett, who has served the city in the Nansemond Borough since 1996, defeated Trisha Marche James, an insurance agent.

SUFFOLK Linda Johnson cruised to a convincing victory over six challengers Tuesday to become the city's first elected mayor. "I'm excited. I'm happy," Johnson said at a campaign party in downtown Suffolk. "I worked hard, and it looks like it paid off."

SUFFOLK All newcomers will join the School Board after voters on Tuesday ousted two incumbents, according to preliminary election results. Seats in three boroughs - Nansemond, Sleepy Hole and Whaleyville - had been up for grabs on the seven-member board. Phyllis Byrum prevailed in the Whaleyville Borough, beating Sharon Harris.

NOT EVERYONE IN OUR REGION will use the same method to vote. All cities and counties must follow the same rules when it comes to who can vote, what identification voters must bring, and voting dates, times and deadlines. But the voting equipment varies. For example, two types of touch-screen systems are used in our region.

SUFFOLK Anyone trying to handicap the city's council races has at least one safe bet. Robert Barclay IV, a lawyer in his first bid for public office, is unopposed in his run for the open Sleepy Hole Borough seat in fast-growing northern Suffolk. His one-man show joins two contested borough races, all of which have taken a back seat this fall to a citywide scrum for mayor.

SUFFOLK City Council candidate Trisha James said she isn't running against the incumbent she's trying to defeat. Fellow challenger Jay Quigley said he doesn't want to defeat the incumbent in his borough "so much as I want to succeed him."

SUFFOLK The organizers promised some pointed questions for their mayoral candidate forum Wednesday night. After about 45 minutes of pre-screened questions and rehearsed answers, they delivered. The result was the most spirited question-and-answer session of the campaign.

SUFFOLK With two weeks before the election, a group of about 40 people was introduced Tuesday night to a crop of mostly new faces running for City Council and School Board.

SUFFOLK Deborah Wahlstrom won't share the ballot with the other mayoral candidates, but last week, after three months of trying, she finally shared the stage with them.