Although election season is well and truly over, the political intrigue is still hanging around.

In Wayne County, things are really starting to heat up–three weeks removed from voting.

An open seat on the Wayne Airport Authority is still up for grabs, which was vacated when incumbent Nicholas Roche skipped town after getting caught up in gambling debts. His highly coveted seat saw 30 filings in two hours, as city residents scrambled for the prestigious spot.

In the end, the nonpartisan race was contested by eight local candidates. Fierce advertising and smear campaigns led four candidates to drop out, making the final ballot a four-way race.

“That night was a real nail biter,” said Beau Barrett, Wayne County election commissioner. “Little did we know it was just the beginning of this nightmare.”

As results started coming in, the reported ballot counts were always within four votes of each other, leading to a tense night at the Wayne County Election Commission.

In the weeks since, all four candidates have successfully petitioned for recounts at least twice, as the margins were never wide enough to declare a clear winner.

Candidate Keenan Reed was critical of both his opponents and the election commission.

“Those snakes are trying to do me in,” he asserted. “Once I’m on the airport authority, though, oh boy, they will be whistling a different tune.”

Vitriol has even spread amongst community members, as protests have broken out all over the town. Wayne resident Allison Bird, carrying a sign reading ‘Give me Horton or give me death,’ described the scene as an indicator of the position’s prestige.

“We can’t just let any clown have a seat on the authority,” Bird said. “We have to get this right.”

At press time, the election commission was conducting its 11th recount, and there are reports that a box of uncounted ballots were found in a church bathroom.