Any votes cast for Guy Bowling for Superintendent of  Morgan County School District in the Nov. 2 General Election won’t be counted, according to Morgan County Probate Judge Greg Cain.
Cain said he received a letter from Bowling on Friday requesting his name be removed from the ballot as the nominee for the Democratic Party.
“The letter was notarized and met state law requirements,” Cain said.  “However, the ballot was printed and in order to remove his name it would have to be reprinted. That was cost prohibitive.”
Cain said he resolved the matter through contacts with the Secretary of State and Attorney General’s offices.
“The program data packs on the voting machines will be pre-programmed so that they won’t recognize any votes cast for Mr. Bowling,” Cain said.  “In addition, notices will be posted at each voting precinct to inform voters that he (Bowling) has officially withdrawn himself as a candidate and any votes cast for him will not be counted.  Copies of the notice have also been given to the Circuit Clerk so they can be distributed with absentee ballots.”
Bowling accepted a Democratic Party nomination for the superintendent’s post after the June 1 Primary Election. Later, he opted to withdraw his candidacy and said he notified Rex Cheatham, chairman of the Morgan County Democratic Party, to that effect in a letter dated Sept. 9.
Bill Hopkins, principal at West Morgan High School, won the Republican Party nomination for the superintendent’s post in the Primary Election and will assume the office when Superintendent Bob Balch leaves.