Photo by Ken Ruinard
The town of Williamston, S.C. has a municipal government center along S.C. 20 (Main Street), across the street from the popular Mineral Springs Park.
WILLIAMSTON, SC — After a protest was filed of the results of the Williamston mayoral election that took place Tuesday, the town’s election board decided Friday to uphold the election results, according to Mayor Phillip Clardy.
Carthel “Coach” Crout edged out Clardy, who is the incumbent, and Otis Scott in the race for the Williamston mayor’s spot, according to unofficial election results. Crout won with 668 votes compared with 403 for Clardy and 244 for Scott. Both Scott and Crout are Williamston Town Council members.
The town’s three-person Municipal Election Commission met Friday evening regarding the protest filed by Clardy and now must render a written statement by Tuesday regarding the board’s judgement, said Rockey Burgess, board chairman. Clardy then will decide whether to file with the Anderson County Court of Common Pleas to appeal the election board decision upholding the initial election results.
Burgess declined Friday to offer details about the election commission’s decision, saying more information will be provided in the written statement that will be made public by Tuesday afternoon through the town’s attorney. The commission’s decision was unanimous, and the members generally felt the election was conducted properly, Burgess said.
“It was fairly cut and dry,” he said of the protest addressed Friday.
Clardy said it had come to the attention of his campaign that some people not living within Williamston town limits were allowed to vote in the mayoral election, while some residents who live inside Williamston town limits were not allowed to vote.
“Voters have a right (to a fair election),” Clardy said.
He also said, “The value of one vote is as important is as every vote cast.”
At the election board meeting Friday, Clardy presented information, he said, about nine instances in which people voted in the mayoral election who did not live in Williamston and two instances of individuals who were eligible to vote but were not allowed to receive a ballot.
Crout said Friday afternoon that was surprised by the protest, but it was Clardy’s right to protest the election results if he felt any wrongdoing took place.
Issues related to the eligibility of certain voters to cast ballots should have been addressed at the polls instead of after the votes had been certified, Crout said.
He said he hadn’t heard any complaints from poll workers that there were any problems related to people who were eligible to vote in the town’s election being denied the vote. The only issue that he was aware of, he said, involved several people who lived in the unincorporated portion of the county trying to vote in the mayoral election and being denied the chance to vote.
"I just think the election commission did a good job of upholding the law, and I really, really look forward to leading this town in the future," Crout said Friday night.
Clardy said Friday that he will wait to the election board’s written statement before indicating definitively whether he will appeal the election board decision to the Court of Common Pleas.
About his intent as of Friday regarding an appeal, Clardy said, “One has to ask themselves, ‘To what extent are you willing to go for what you believe to be right?’ And I’m willing to go to the furthest extent that I need to.”
Independent-Mail night editor Alison Newton contributed to this report.
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Comments » 4
me2youlol#268391 writes:
this is so silly
trieste writes:
nothing is silly in politics
donthavetoagree writes:
This isn't silly. It happened in Central too. Town of Central wanted to add $5 to resident water bills for 2 years to help pay for a recreation complex. When you signed in to vote, the poll workers gave you a pink or a white slip, depending on whether you lived in town limits or not. My husband and I voted at different times of the day. I was given the ballot that contained the question regarding the fee while my husband was not. After discussing it in the evening, we found that I was given a pink slip and he was given a white slip. He was given the wrong ballot to vote on and was not given the opportunity to vote on the fee.
carolinaspirit writes:
Clardy is doing nothing but crying about his loss. He should have been voted out last election due to misuse of public funds. I won't be surprised if he tries to take this to the State Supreme Court. Lost his church, his restaurant, and now his town.
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