Voter split possible in Myrtle Beach elections

In just eight days, voters will head to the polls for local elections across the eastern Carolinas.

In Myrtle Beach some political experts said that city voters are equally divided between the incumbents and their opposition.

Viola McArn said she’s worked in the restaurant industry in Myrtle Beach for the last 20 years. She is currently working at the Noizy Oyster, a south end bar and restaurant.
She said that new laws like the city’s biker ordinances and the one cent sales tax for tourism advertising is something she isn’t happy with because it’s had a huge impact on her personal finances.

That’s why McArn said she can’t wait to vote in this year’s elections for mayor and city council.

“This election is going be a real what you would say a humdinger of an election,” said McArn “I want a person in there that I think is going to have Myrtle Beach in its best interest, I want to hear everybody’s view on what they want to do because my vote is just as important as anybody else’s and truthfully if I could have four votes I’d do that too.”

Outside of the restaurant sat two candidate signs that McArn said shows that the restaurant supports the challengers Karen Mitchell and Don Emery, who are both running for city council.

McArn said she doesn’t think current mayor John Rhodes should be re-elected. “We don’t need a John Rhodes sign and there won’t be one,” said McArn.

Local business owner David Brittain said that he’s more than satisfied with the mayor and city council. He owns Sea Captain’s House, which is on the north end of town.

He said that changing current officials would be bad for the city and that’s why his vote will go to Rhodes.

“I would like for Mayor John Rhodes to stay, I just think that the city has moved in such a positive direction, we need to elect people that can work together and make this town grow and move forward,” said Brittain.

Brittain said that he isn’t going to vote for anyone that is for the bikers. He said though having bikers come town was good for business he just cannot deal with them staying in town longer than they are supposed to.

“We just don’t want 300,000 bikers coming in at the same time because it’s just intrusive into the residents and people who live here year round and even some businesses for whom it totally destroys their May business,” Brittain said.

Coastal Carolina University professor of politics Dr. Eddie Dyer said that’s it’s possible that city residents are split when it comes to who will get the popular vote.

“There appears to be good support for the incumbents on the north and the north central part of town,” explained Dyer, “it’s just a gut feeling that the south end of the town seems to be the ones who are making the most noise about voting out the incumbents but I maybe wrong on that and also the wild card factor is how many people are speaking against the incumbents who are business owners on the south end who don’t live in the city of Myrtle Beach and are not going to be able to vote.“

Dyer also said that even though he can’t predict what will happen there is definitely a chance that a larger than normal crowd will show up at the polls to cast their votes.

According Horry County’s Voter Registration and Election office there are currently 13,895 registered voters within the city limits.