Selma City Councilman Johnnie Leashore said he’s uncertain what he’ll do after Monday’s recount of the votes for Ward 6.

The votes, counted by machine and tallied by a roomful of individuals, turned out the same — an eight-vote difference in favor of Leashore’s opponent, B.L. Tucker.

“I’ll let you know,” Leashore said when asked if he’d contest the election.

But during the Selma City Council meeting, Leashore said he had yet to add up the tallies. “There may be a difference with the machines,” he said. “If there is a difference, I will let the attorney know.”

The recount took a little more than an hour in the council chambers of City Hall on Monday. Polling officials from the two voting precincts that make up Ward 6 hand-fed ballots through the voting machines after they called out each vote for the audience of about two dozen to tally.

The recount would not have changed the certified election results, said Jimmy Nunn, the city’s attorney, but would have laid a foundation for an election challenge, should Leashore want to file the necessary papers in Dallas County Circuit Court.

Leashore petitioned the city for a recount Thursday afternoon. During a council work session on Thursday, he explained his supporters had urged him to take the action.

Leashore had asked for a manual count.

However, state law does not allow for a manual count of ballots when voting machines are used.