County voters head to polls Tuesday

Darlington County election officials are reporting a surge in voting by absentee ballot in the days leading up to Tuesday’s general election.

Voters in Darlington County will join tens of millions of voters across the U.S. in electing a new president Tuesday.

They will also help elect a U.S. Senator from South Carolina and a U.S. House member from the state’s 5th Congressional District.

At the local level, only one race is contested, that for Darlington County Council District 1.

In fact, many county voters have already cast absentee ballots for next Tuesday’s election. Hoyt Campbell, director of elections and voter registration, said Tuesday the number of absentee ballots issued by his office thus far is the largest number ever.

“We issued about 4,200 applications (for absentee ballots), and we’ve voted about 1,700 in the office. We’ve issued about 3,200 to 3,500 absentee ballots,” Campbell said Tuesday. “It’s the biggest number we’ve ever had.”

In the county’s largest precinct, Darlington 3, Campbell said his office had issued about 400 absentee ballots as of last Friday (Oct. 24). “That’s about 16 percent of that precinct, and they’re still going strong,” he said. “We’ll probably vote about 22 or 23 percent of that precinct absentee.”

Campbell said the high rate of absentee voting should indicate a strong turnout Tuesday.

He said county officials registered about 4,000 new voters for this year’s general election. “That’s about normal for a presidential year. It’s always higher in a presidential election year,” he said.

Campbell said his office will be open Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to allow citizens to cast absentee ballots. Voters can vote absentee up until 5 p.m. the day before the general election, Campbell said.

“The media’s made a lot out of early voting, but South Carolina has absentee voting only,” he said. “And you have to have a reason.” Valid reasons for voting absentee include being over 65 years of age, if you’re unable to get off work to vote, away on vacation, a student in school, disabled or serving in the military among others, he said.

Heading the ballot for Tuesday’s voting will be the race for president and vice president with Democratic U.S. Sens. Barack Obama and Joe Biden facing Republican U.S. Sen. John McCain and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

Other presidential candidates who will be listed on the ballot include Cynthia McKinney and Rosa Clemente for the Green Party, Bob Barr and Wayne A. Root on the Libertarian Party ticket, Ralph Nader and Matt Gonzalez as petition candidates and Chuck Bal-dwin and Darrell Castle for the Constitution Party.

Republican U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham is facing a challenge from Demo-cratic hopeful Bob Conley to represent South Caro-lina in the Senate.

In the race for the state’s 5th District congressional seat, incumbent Democratic U.S. Rep. John Spratt is facing a challenge from Republi-can candidate Albert F. Spencer. Frank Waggoner is running for the seat on the Constitution Party ticket.

At the state level, Democratic state Sen. Gerald Malloy of Hartsville is unopposed in his bid for another term in the Senate representing District 29.

State Reps. Jay Lucas, R-Hartsville, Denny Neilson, D-Darlington, and Robert Williams, D-Darlington, are all unopposed for re-election. Lucas represents District 65, Neilson District 56 and Williams District 62 in the S.C. House.

Assistant Fourth Circuit Solicitor Will Rogers is unopposed in his bid to become the next solicitor from the Fourth Judicial Circuit, replacing outgoing Solicitor Jay Hodge. Rogers is a Democrat. The Fourth Circuit includes Darling-ton, Chesterfield, Marlboro and Dillon counties.

Three of four Darling-ton County Council members up for re-election this year are running unopposed. They are Democrat Wilhelmina Johnson in District 3, Republican Le Flowers in District 5 and Republican Alex “Buz” Shaw in District 7.

In District 1, incumbent Republican Billy Baldwin, who currently serves as chairman of council, is facing a challenge from Democrat Brenda Broach, former human resources manager for the county.

Among county constitutional offices, Darling-ton Police Capt. Wayne Byrd is unopposed as a Democrat for sheriff. He will replace retiring Sheriff Glenn Campbell. Incumbents running unopposed for their respective offices are Belinda Copeland as treasurer, Rosa Hudson as auditor, Scott Suggs as clerk of court, Todd Hardee as coroner.

Four incumbents on the Darlington County Board of Education are also seeking re-election unopposed. They are Connell Delaine of Society Hill in District 2, Warren Jeffords of Lamar in District 4, Charles Govan of Hartsville in District 6 and Jamie Morphis of Hartsville in District 8.

School board elections in Darlington County are nonpartisan.

Kent Segars is unopposed for Darlington County Soil and Water Conservation Distirict Board.