Compton

Retired parks employee James E. Carter said he will wait until the Compton Community College trustee election is certified on Nov. 25 before deciding whether to request a recount in his apparent one-vote loss to incumbent Carl E. Robinson Sr.

“After the 25th, I will determine what I’m going to do,” said Carter, who has lost twice before to Robinson. Carter finished last Tuesday’s balloting with 745 votes to the incumbent’s 746.

Marcia Ventura of the county registrar of voters office said Tuesday that officials still are sorting absentee ballots that were submitted on election day. When the process is completed, she said Carter would be free to request a partial or full recount, either by computer or by hand. The candidate would be charged $140 for each day of additional tallying.

Robinson said last week that he is confident his single-vote victory will hold. “I already had my victory party,” he said.

Both candidates acknowledge that the main issue in the election was Robinson’s fitness to serve a second term. Last spring he was charged with soliciting and accepting a $500 bribe from a West Covina accountant who does business with the Compton college. Robinson admits receiving the money but denies that it was anything more than a legitimate campaign contribution. His trial in Los Angeles Superior Court is set for Dec. 17.