Activist and protest leader Marie Mott and Marvene Noel will be in a runoff for the City Council, District 8 seat.
Ms. Noel was appointed to the position on an interim basis after Anthony Byrd became City Court clerk.
Also running was Malarie Marsh.
The runoff will be Sept. 15.
City Council District 8
Marie Mott 557
Marvene Noel 341
Malarie Marsh 294
Officials of the Unity Group said Friday, "Today, the Unity Group forwarded several election related inquiries to the Hamilton County Election Commission and city of Chattanooga.
"After carefully reviewing the City Charter and other guidance as it pertains to elections, one concern that is apparent is that the manner in how to conduct special elections is ambiguous because of the vagueness of the regulating statutes.
"As best as we can determine, while State and County election outcomes are determined by the candidate who receives the highest number of votes, a plurality, city elections use a majority format. This means a candidate must receive 50 percent plus 1. If no candidate receives that margin, a run-off election is used to determine the eventual winner.
"This is now the case in the District 8 race. RESOLUTION NO. 31030 outlines this process. Nothwithstanding, a special election will now be held September 15, 2022.
"While we don't dispute the validity of the need for a special election, we do think the process identified in Resolution 31030 was not adequately conveyed to the voters. This very well could have been a determining factor in the election outcome. The voters have a right to clear and accurate facts that helps them be as informed and educated on the election and issues as possible.
"Finally, the City Charter should not be left to interpretation. It should be rules of governance that all citizens of the city can readily refer to and discern. This is not the case today, and until it is election protections, processes and procedures are subject to being in peril; election fairness and integrity can be called into question."