Two tied elections in Franklin County this week prove that every vote really does count.

Mayoral races in the small towns of Royston and Franklin Springs -- located just a mile from each other and about 30 miles northeast of Athens -- ended in ties Tuesday night.

After recounts Wednesday and a provisional ballot counted on Thursday, both elections were decided by just one vote.

"I've never seen two side-by-side mayoral races won by one vote," Franklin Springs Mayor Brian James said Thursday.

Mr. James defeated challenger Lee Moore, 119-118. The machine that scans ballots did not read one vote for Mr. James on Tuesday, but poll workers caught it when counting votes by hand on Wednesday, Franklin County elections supervisor Sandy Phillips said.

In Royston, former city councilman David Jordan beat Mayor Bill Stewart, 225-224. Mr. Stewart initially led by one vote, but a hand recount found two additional votes for Mr. Jordan and one for Mr. Stewart.

A provisional ballot cast by a voter who did not bring the required photo identification to the polls was opened Thursday after the man had an ID made. It broke the tie in favor of Mr. Jordan.

Both races were contentious ones that drew relatively high turnout for municipal elections.