Barring an even split, the fate of Chatham County’s top law enforcement office will be decided — however briefly — on Tuesday. After none of the five candidates to replace longtime Sheriff Al St Lawrence walked away with more than 50 percent of the votes in a nonpartisan special election March 1, the stage was set for Tuesday’s runoff between the two who fared best, Roy Harris and John Wilcher. About 18,000 people voted for Harris, who has been serving as sheriff since St Lawrence died in November, giving him 33 percent of the vote. And about 16,000 people voted for Wilcher, a retired command staff member at the department, giving him 29 percent of the turnout. Whoever wins Tuesday will technically only be sheriff through the end of the year, when St Lawrence’s sixth term in office is set to expire. But both Harris and Wilcher have qualified as Republicans in the May 24 partisan primary for the next full term for sheriff.