SC town’s election for mayor ended in a tie. Now, the governor may have to intervene
After a small South Carolina town’s mayoral election, at first too close to call, was declared a tie this week, officials say the governor may have to step in.
Estill residents and others in the Hampton County community have been anxiously waiting to see whether the two-vote victory that challenger Kim E. Wiley had over incumbent Corrin F. Bowers III would hold. Bowers is in his first term after serving as a councilman.
They’ll be waiting a little longer.
Of Estill’s estimated population of just more than 2,800, 2,319 residents are registered to vote. A fraction of those showed up at the polls on April 13 for the local municipal election, but each vote mattered.
The afternoon after the election, the count showed Wiley with 273 votes and Bowers with 271.
With the already high emotions of an already tight race, delays and confusion have followed in the weeks since. Estill Municipal Election Commission chairperson Marsha Robinson says no one in Hampton County has experienced this before.
Votes were scheduled to be certified April 15, two days after the initial election, but of the three people on the election commission, Robinson was the only one available.
Town Council voted to appoint two new commissioners in a special-called meeting six days after the election.
A couple of days later, the three-person election board met to certify the results and hold a provisional ballot hearing. At tat point, eight total votes were added to the tally, Robinson said.
Typically, the county sees three or four challenged ballots, and the gap between the candidates is larger, so they don’t make much difference.
“This was beyond unexpected for the county,” she said.
Once those eight votes were reviewed, a recount was called, and once again, it changed the circumstances.
Wiley and Bowers were tied at 274 votes, and the election board again had to figure out the next step.
Eventually they scheduled a recount, which typically follows a tie, for Tuesday — two weeks after election day.
Tied again.
Despite her roughly 10 years of experience working elections, Robinson was at a loss. Like most municipal election boards, Estill’s leaned heavily on advice from the county and state commissions.
A law helped provide guidance, S.C. Election Commission spokesperson Chris Whitmire told The Island Packet. He cited SC Code § 7-13-1170, which in layman’s terms says in a situation like this, the governor has the power to order a new election.
Both Whitmire and Robinson said they expect the runoff election to occur soon.
Right now, Robinson said the election is in the hands of Gov. Henry McMaster. She said she isn’t involved in that process and is waiting like everyone else to find out what is next.
A governor’s office spokesperson did not immediately return a call Thursday afternoon.
Whitmire said the governor’s office typically talks with local officials to make a decision that makes sense and is logistical.
“This has been an experience,” Robinson said. “This is a process that we’re all learning from, and it is what it is.”
She said once a date has been set, the community will be notified.
Until then, Estill is still wondering who its mayor will be.
