Who's running? Who can vote? What to know before Beaufort County's runoff elections

Anyone who voted on the Republican ballot in the June 12 primary elections — and those who didn't vote but want to now — should take note of Tuesday's runoff elections.

On the ballot June 26 are GOP gubernatorial candidates Gov. Henry McMaster and John Warren, one of whom will go on to face Democrat James Smith Jr. in the November general election.

Residents of Beaufort County Council District 9, which includes much of Old Town Bluffton, the May River area and all of Daufuskie Island, will get to choose between Mark Lawson and Mike Raymond, the top two vote-getters in the primary.

Lawson came in at 46 percent June 12, just short the of the 50 percent plus one that he would've needed to win the race. Raymond came in second with 19 percent.

Two losing candidates, Laura Sterling and Randy Boehme, received 18 percent and 17 percent of the vote, respectively.

Mark McGinnis ran unopposed for the District 9 seat in the Democrat primary and will face the winner of the runoff in the fall.

Boehme has endorsed Lawson, while Sterling has urged her supporters to vote for Raymond.

Lawson, whose campaign focuses on what he calls "smart growth" with respect to environmental protection, said he doesn't expect to change his approach all that much this time around.

"We're still staying the course, trying to reach as many people as we can," he said Thursday. "We want to get people out to vote, no matter who they vote for."

Despite not receiving Boehme's endorsement, Raymond said he and Boehme were "on the same page regarding the codes to protect natural resources." He also said his camaraderie with Sterling is a factor for why he believes he'll earn her supporters' vote.

"Laura and I attended many meetings to try to get County Council together against the (Community Development) Code," he said.

When asked what made him stand apart from Lawson, Raymond ended the interview to take another call. He told The Island Packet he was unavailable to speak on the phone again, but later provided a written statement, saying that he had been actively involved in protecting the environment for years. Raymond also said Lawson would "try to learn on the job," whereas Raymond would be able to fulfill his duties on the first day.

When asked what made him stand apart from Raymond, Lawson cited his ties to the community.

"I've lived here 28 years, " he said. "My connection reaches to every part of the community — grandparents, parents and kids. I've coached kids who told me they registered to vote just to vote for me."

Primary elections tend to have much lower turnouts compared with the November election, and the June 12 primary was no exception.

Marie Smalls, director of Beaufort County's Board of Voter Registration and Elections, said there was about a 20 percent turnout in the primary, but remains optimistic that a similar number of constituents will show up to vote in the runoff.

"The governor is running in the (runoff) race, so people will come out," she said.

Sherri Zedd, chairwoman of the Beaufort County South Carolina Republican Party, said turnout for the runoff is particularly pivotal given that there will be four new Beaufort County Council members next year.

"They need to come back and vote," she said. "There's going to be a lot of turnover."

Voters who cannot make it to their polling place on Tuesday can opt for an in-person absentee ballot beforehand. Smalls added that polls will be open at the Beaufort and Bluffton government offices from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday.

All voters, whether voting absentee or on Tuesday, will need to bring a photo ID with them. If you are unsure of what district you live in, click here. You can find a map of District 9 here.

This story was originally published June 22, 2018 at 3:32 PM with the headline "Who's running? Who can vote? What to know before Beaufort County's runoff elections."