Mullins, Nichols get new mayors

The following are unofficial election night results in Marion County.

With all six precincts counted in Nichols, for the City Council and Mayor’s races, we have the following results. Remember, in Nichols, voting for council seats is at large: there are five candidates and four seats, the candidates with the most votes, wins… 

Kathryn McCormick (i) 134
Michael Elliott (i) 132
Verna Nance 130
Tommensia Floyd (i) 129
Deldon Strickland (i) 82

There is a new mayor in Nichols: Lawson Battle, challenger, has defeated incumbent James Little, 173 votes to 60.
Mullins has a new Mayor as well. With nine of nine precincts counted: Pam Lee, the challenger, has 951 votes to incumbent Kenneth McDonald’s 819.

In other races, Barack Obama garnered 9,575 votes to John McCain’s 5,410; Bob Conley received 8,574 to Sen. Lindsay Graham’s 5,942 votes and U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn received 10,054 to challenger Nancy Harrelson’s 4,612 votes.

Dick Elliott had 1,362 votes to Bill McKown’s 482. All three state admendments were voted defeated.

Mullins City Council members, unopposed on the ballot, are expected to be declared the winners on Nov. 7, when the Election Commission certifies the election results. Incumbents returning to serve are District 1, Terry B. Strickland; District 3, Terry D Davis; and District 5, D. Wayne Collins.

All election results tonight are unofficial and will be validated on Nov. 7. We will continue to update these local races as we get results…Other than these races, the local county races are uncontested. Incumbents returning to their elected positions include Sheriff Mark W. Richardson; Probate Judge T. Carroll Atkinson Jr.; Clerk of Court Sherry Richardson Rhodes; County Coroner Jerry M. Richardson; County Council members District 1, John Q. Atkinson Jr.; District 2 Eloise Rogers; District 4 Allen Floyd; and District 6 Pearly Britt; along with Soil and Water District Commissioner Fletcher M. Johnson Sr.

Also returned to office is Sen. Kent Williams, Rep. Jim Battle and Rep. Terry Alexander.

One other contested race was the Senate race Senate Seat 28. Results show incumbent Dick Elliott with a lead over challenger Bill McKown. In the nearby county of Dillon, a new Sheriff was elected: Major Hulon is the county’s first new sheriff in 21 years, defeating petition candidate Douglas “Humbunny” Pernell.

Earlier today, we learned that in one City of Marion precinct, laptops replaced traditional voters registration log books on this election day.

And according to Teresa Moody, the county’s Voters Registration and Election Commission executive director, the county had not experienced any trouble or voting irregularities by early afternoon. Poll workers at the Marion Opera House said they had never seen a turnout like they were witnessing for this general election. Large crowds at various precincts were already gathered when the polls opened at 7 a.m., most said.

“It’s been excellent … this is the way we should vote every election,” said one Marion South precinct worker.

“The main thing is people who hadn’t changed their address or hadn’t voted in a while … their name isn’t on the list … so (poll workers) are just having to call and have us look for their applications to see whether or not they’re eligible,” Moody said, adding that all the machines allowed in the county had been programmed and that if needed, two additional voting machines could be taken to the South Marion precinct. 

Absentee voting ended Monday at 5 p.m., she said. According to a press release from Chris Whitmire, public information officer with the state’s Election Commission, Tammy Barr and Teresa Moody, processed about 156 absentee ballots for military and overseas citizens. The remainder, 3,404 requests and ballots, were processed primarily in the past couple of months. Statewide, Whitmire said, a few more than 360,000 absentee ballots were processed.

Because of local elections in Nichols and Mullins and various state races, 14 ballots were used in the county, Moody, the executive director of the office, said. “Be patient,” was the advice given by Moody to voters. The crowds are large, but they will get to you,” she said.

Precincts are open until 7 p.m., and Barr confirmed that if a voter is in line at 7 p.m., waiting to vote, they would get to vote. Someone will be monitoring the line at 7 p.m., she said.

More than 1,600 of the 3,500 registered voters had cast their vote in South Marion (Marion Opera House) before 3:30 p.m., poll worker Diane Gasque said. 

“I think the laptops are excellent,” poll worker Lisa Seabrook said, adding that the computers should be reissued. “If you just put that number in, it automatically pops up. You don’t have to search through different names. It’s excellent. It’s quick. I don’t know who thought it up, but it was a good move,” she said.

The long lines did not appear to deter voters and many in lines said they were pleased to see citizens taking part in the election process.

“I think it’s great. People are voting which is better than none,” James Anderson, in line at McCormick Elementary in Mullins said.

“This little line don’t bother us,” Clyde Stanford said as he also waited inside McCormick.

“I think it’s a good turnout and one of the largest I’ve ever seen,” said Leigh Odom. Clyde’s wife, Bobbie, said the Zion precinct had a huge morning gathering.

Poll workers Brenda Fleming and Cathy Lewis said voters were at the North Mullins precinct had been at the site since 6 a.m.

First-time voter 21-year old Jessica Platt said it was very important for her to get out and vote. “It was a good experience,” she said.

Leigh-Ann Page, another first-time voter said that she felt she had made an important step. “It feels pretty good … it’s different,” she said, coming out of the voting booth.
By 12:40 p.m., 579 voters had been through the Marion Opera House, more than voted all day during the June primary in that precinct. Nearly 500 had voted in McCormick Elementary by 1:30 p.m., compared to the 588 who voted in the June primary. At 2 p.m., 702 votes had been cast in the North Mullins Primary School, compared to the primary total of 553.  At the Marion South precinct, in the Grice Recreation Center, 1,682 had voted by 3:30 p.m. In June, there were 822 of 3,216 registered to vote who took advantage of the privilege.