No winners yet in Bluffton council race, says elections director

The results of the Bluffton Town Council election likely will not be known until Friday morning, Beaufort County elections director Agnes Garvin said this afternoon.

Incumbent Fred Hamilton and political newcomer Allyne Mitchell received the most votes for two open Bluffton council seats, according to unofficial election results posted this morning.

Mitchell’s margin of votes over third-place finisher Jeff Fulgham was only 22 votes.

Hamilton received the highest percentage of votes: 29.54 percent. Mitchell had 27.53 percent. Fulgham had 27.12 percent of the vote.

Fourth-place finisher Normand E. “Gus” Thomas had 15.17 percent of the vote.

One open seat on the five-member council currently belongs to Hamilton. The second will be vacated by council member Lisa Sulka, whose term ends in January.

Whether there will be a challenge to the results by the candidates is uncertain; there were reports of problems for some voters at the polls. A candidate for mayor, Charlie Wetmore, has called for an investigation in the mayor's race. (See story on islandpacket.com: "Sulka next Bluffton mayor, according to unofficial results; Wetmore calls for investigation.")

The deadline to file a protest of election results is 7 p.m. Thursday, 48 hours after the polls closed, Garvin said.

When polls opened at 7 a.m., voters from the Townes at Buckwalter, Baynard Park, Parkside and Shell Hall neighborhoods — all within Bluffton town limits — were directed to vote on ballots that did not include the two Bluffton races, according to Bluffton’s mayoral candidates and several upset voters.

Voters in another precinct faced the opposite problem.

Residents in Old Carolina and Windy Lakes — both neighborhoods outside town limits — were mistakenly allowed to vote in the town races, the mayoral candidates said.

Poll workers discovered the error by about 2 p.m. It was fixed by about 2:30, candidates said. It is unclear how many voters were affected and if any of the candidates will ask for another election.

Fulgham said the race was too close to call late Tuesday.

“A lot of people voted early,” he said. “We’ll just have to wait and see.”

Hamilton said he would not declare victory until all the votes are counted.

Mitchell could not be reached for comment.

The new council members will serve three-year terms and each will earn $500 a month.