SC Supreme Court hears Bluffton election case

The S.C. Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday from lawyers involved in the disputed Nov. 4 Bluffton Town Council election.

The court expects to make its final ruling within 60 days, candidates said after the 30-minute hearing.

The November election to fill two seats was contested and appealed by all four candidates. They claimed address coding errors might have prohibited some Blufftonians from voting and allowed non-residents to cast ballots in the mayoral and council races.

The appeal to the state Supreme Court in Columbia, which will rule whether a new election should be held, was filed by third-place finisher Jeff Fulgham and fourth-place finisher Normand E. "Gus" Thomas.

First-place finisher Fred Hamilton and second-place finisher Allyne Mitchell were sworn into office in February, despite the pending court case.

Fulgham, who finished 26 votes behind Mitchell, protested the results several days after the November election. After that complaint, the Beaufort County board of elections ruled a new election should be held.

Hamilton and Mitchell appealed that decision to the S.C. State Election Commission, which upheld the Nov. 4 results because of "insufficient evidence" voters had been disenfranchised.