The Beaufort County Republican runoff as it happens: what to know before you cast your vote

Update, 8:35 p.m.:

Results remain unofficial, but with 100 percent of District 9 precincts reporting, it appears as though Mark Lawson has won the Republican nomination for County Council in November. Not all absentee ballots have been recorded yet, but Lawson currently leads with 69 percent of the vote to Raymond's 31 percent.

This is a developing story.

Update, 8:30 p.m.:

Polls may have closed at 7:00, but there are still no updates to report on the votes.

Although the governor and attorney general races are dependent on the statewide runoff vote, the Beaufort County Council District 9 seat relies entirely upon the voting results from its constituents.

As a reminder, Mark Lawson and Mike Raymond are the two candidates competing in this runoff to be the District 9 Republican nominee in the general election. Lawson led the four-candidate pack after the initial primary two weeks ago, with 46 percent of the vote. Raymond came in second place with 19 percent.

Lawson's campaign focuses on what he calls "smart growth," with respect to environmental protection. He also attributes his preparedness to his active participation with the community.

Raymond also says his record shows his prioritization for the environment, and he further went on to say he is prepared to do the job from day one, a quality he doesn't believe Lawson has.

Be sure to check back at islandpacket.com for results as they come in.

Update, 5:20 p.m.:

Both Beaufort County Council District 9 candidates Mark Lawson and Mike Raymond have noted the light turnout as the day has gone on.

But, with an hour and a half left until polls close, both remain hopeful.

"Hoping voters will rally and we remain optimistic," Raymond said.

Lawson said he's heard from his supporters that have reached out to him to send good luck, and that everyone on his team has been positive.

"We want to see people come out and vote, no matter who they vote for," he said.

Polls close shortly, at 7:00 p.m., but anyone in line to vote at that time will not be turned away as long as they have their photo ID.

Stay tuned for further updates after the polls close.

***

So far, it's been a slow day at the polls for the Republican runoff elections in Beaufort County.

Although exact numbers aren't determinable at this point, Marie Smalls, the county's director of the Board of Voter Registration and Elections, said some of the turnout trouble has been rooted in the initial primary elections two weeks ago.

"People have been confused on whether they voted Democrat or Republican in the (June 12) primary," she said.

The significance of the issue is that voters that opted to vote on the Democrat ticket on June 12 are not eligible to vote in today's Republican runoff. Anyone that voted Democrat two weeks ago who attempts to vote again today will be turned away.

However, Smalls emphasized that any voter — Democrat or Republican — that did not vote on June 12 is eligible to cast their ballot today in the Republican runoff. The same goes for Republicans that voted in the first round of elections.

Other than that, Smalls says there have been no serious issues so far. She says polls close at 7:00 p.m. tonight, but anyone in line by the 7:00 deadline will be allowed to vote.

The races on the Republican ballot today include the gubernatorial showdown between incumbent Gov. Henry McMaster and his opponent, John Warren. The state attorney general race is also up for grabs, and on a local level, Beaufort County Council District 9, which includes most of Bluffton and all of Daufuskie Island, will have one of Mark Lawson or Mike Raymond as its Republican nominee come November.

While it's impossible to know exactly when results will come out, Smalls says the county always tries to publish a preliminary update.

"We at least try to push out the first set of precinct results by 8:00 (p.m.)," she said.

All voters must present a valid government-issued ID. To figure out the address of your polling precinct, check out the map below.

This post will be updated throughout the day.

This story was originally published June 26, 2018 at 2:29 PM with the headline "The Beaufort County Republican runoff as it happens: what to know before you cast your vote."