Monday, May 21, 2012
The ballot imbroglio that has caused more than 180 candidates to be booted from party primaries is particularly acute in Lexington County.
In any given election cycle, there may only be a handful of petition candidates in South Carolina who are able to get on the general election ballot. Of those, few (if any) ever win. The obstacles of getting on the ballot as a petition candidate are numerous, as this article in The State points out. And this year, an inordinate amount of candidates will be seeking this route to the ballot, whose main requirement is that the candidate must procure the signatures of at least five percent of the registered voters in the district, county, or municipality their intended office serves. And they need to do so by July 16. A state Supreme Court ruling earlier this month booted more than 180 Republican and Democratic candidates off the June 12 party…
Thursday, May 17, 2012
State Election Commission says it has no authority to add Shealy to June 12 party primary ballot.
The S.C. Election Commission said today it has no authority to put Katrina Shealy on the June 12 GOP primary ballot, which would force her to seek a slot on the general election ballot as a petition candidate. The determination comes after Shealy, of Lexington, had successfully persuaded the SCGOP executive committee on Wednesday night to recommend she be added back on the party ballot to challenge incumbent Sen. Jake Knotts for the Republican nomination for the Senate District 23 seat. Shealy was one of 180 candidates statewide who was booted off the ballot earlier this month following a state Supreme Court ruling that has thrown the state's party primaries into chaos. The election commission said that the court's May 2 ruling prevented …
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Three members of the Lexington County GOP executive committee call it quits in protest, as the fallout continues from last week's state Supreme Court decision.
A trio of Lexington County GOP executive committee members resigned earlier this week as the fallout from the state's ballot debacle continues. Calling it quits Monday were first vice-chairman Summer Solam, recording secretary Carla Hardee, and interim corresponding secretary Mickey Lindler, WIS reported. The state Supreme Court ruled last week that 180 candidates statewide who failed to follow proper procedures in filing statement of economic interest forms were unlawfully certified to run by their respective party organizations and must be removed from the June 12 party primary ballots. Many booted candidates intend to run as petition candidates, but the exiting committee members said it was unfair that county party rules prohibit them …
Friday, May 4, 2012
13 Republicans and one Democrat have been removed from June 12 party primary ballots.
The tally is in, and 13 Republicans and one Democrat will be kicked off the June 12 party primary ballot for a slew of state and county races in the wake of Wednesday's state Supreme Court ruling. Statewide, more than 85 Republicans and 90 Democrats are in danger of not appearing on the June primary ballots. You can view the new list of certified GOP candidates statewide here and Democrats here. The decertified candidates were removed Friday afternoon for their failure to properly file Statement of Economic Interest forms in compliance with state election law. The lone Lexington Democrat off the ballot is Walid Hakim, an armed services veteran and Occupy Columbia stalwart running to challenge incumbent Republican Rep. Mac Toole for the …
Today voters will learn who will be on and off next month's party primary ballots.
Upwards of 50 candidates in Lexington and Richland counties could learn today they will be off next month's party primary ballots in the wake of Wednesday's state Supreme Court ruling. About two-thirds of those candidates are expected to be in Lexington County, according to The State. The court has given the state's Democratic and Republican parties until noon to list the affected candidates. In its ruling, the court said that candidates who failed to properly file required economic interest forms must be removed from the June 12 party primary ballots per state law. As many as 100 candidates, most likely all challengers, could be affected statewide. Some political experts believe the number could be much higher. The state election …
Monday, April 30, 2012
Lexington suit that suddenly threatens the races of dozens of state and local candidates across South Carolina goes before the state Supreme Court on Tuesday.
What started out as a lawsuit that could impact the races of a handful of Lexington County candidates running for state and local-level offices is now rippling throughout the entire state. At stake? Dozens of candidates (at least 83 so far) could see their names pulled from the June 12 party primary ballots on account that they failed to submit legally mandated financial disclosure forms within the required timeframe. This report from SCNOW lists many of the candidates who, so far, could see their names pulled from ballots. The state Supreme Court is set to hear arguments in the suit Tuesday morning in Columbia. The court meantime has ordered election officials to stop distributing ballots for the June primary until the matter is resolved…
Friday, April 20, 2012
The suits' outcome could mean that several names could be removed from ballots in Lexington County House races in June primary.
The state's decision to give several local candidates more time to file financial disclosure forms has resulted in lawsuits from a pair of Lexington County residents, The State reported. As a result, if the suits against both the S.C. Democratic Party and S.C. Republican Party are successful, several names could be removed from ballots of several Lexington County state House races in the upcoming June primaries and in the general election, the report said. "The lawsuits … say the law is clear that candidates must file their statement of economic interests forms at the time they file to run for office. The required forms list candidates’ incomes and other financial information, giving voters an inside look at how candidates make their money…
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Ever wondered what happens to your vote once you've confirmed your electronic ballot?
Patch was granted access to the Greenville County Department of Registration and Elections on Saturday night after the Republican primary to show what happens after you, the voter, make your decision. In this Patch video, Greenville County Elections Director Conway Belangia walks you through what happens to your "personal electronic ballot" (PEB), and just what goes into tabulating the totals. South Carolina uses an electronic voting system, unlike Iowa, where its caucuses were decided by hand-written votes. That system resulted earlier this month in mass confusion, as Mitt Romney was initially declared the winner, but was later found to have finished second to Rick Santorum just this past week.
scvoter
11:38 am on Wednesday, June 13, 2012
If these candidates who were removed for not following instructions are eventually elected, woe is us. more ›