Darlington County Council to research new building for election board

DARLINGTON — The Darlington County Council will look at the possibility of building a new structure to house the office, equipment and personnel of the Darlington County Board of Elections and Registration. Council members voted to research the possibilities of the new building at Monday’s regular meeting after hearing from Carolyn Jones, chairperson of the board, and Hoyt Campbell, director of elections and registration.

Jones gave council a history of the past 28 years in which she has been involved with the board. She said the board and members of the office have never had adequate space to operate. Jones said the election in November was especially difficult to handle. She said the amount of people that voted in the 2008 presidential election was overwhelming at times, and in some cases, those who wished to cast absentee ballots had to wait 45 minutes.

Campbell told council the number of voters has increased steadily since he became director in 1992. He said in 1992, the county had about 24,000 registered voters; however, in the 1996 elections the county had 26,000 registered voters. In November, the county voted 29,000 people.

Campbell said the office voted 640 via absentee ballots on the day before the election. In total, the board voted 4,240 people in office. That number, Campbell said, made it increasingly difficult to operate in the small office space they have at the Mozingo Building in Darlington. Campbell said he said he thinks the office handled the crowds well. “I think we have one of the best offices in the state,” he said. Councilmembers Mozella Nicholson and Wilhelmina Johnson agreed.

If the state legislature passes legislation that allows voters to vote early without excuse, Campbell expects the numbers to increase even more. He said the board would like to move into a building of about 4,000 square feet to allow them more office space and storage space for the equipment. Campbell also said the new office space would allow the county to have a separate precinct for absentee voters.

Councilman Le Flowers and Campbell estimated the costs of the building, which Campbell said she be behind the Courthouse Annex on Harry Byrd Hwy., to be roughly around $200,000.
“We’ve got to get out of that Mozingo Building,” Flowers said. “It is a security nightmare and a lot more.”

Flowers and Council Member Anne Warr agreed council should look at the option of a new building. Flowers proposed a motion to examine the possibility of constructing the new building. The motioned passed.

Council also held public hearing and final reading of ordinances 08-23 and 08-24.

Ordinance 08-23 authorizes a fee in lieu of for an expansion at Nucor Corporation’s Recycled Steel Manufacturing and Processing Facility. Ordinance 08-24 is an amendment to the Darlington County Code of Ordinances that will allow the planning commission the authority to approve an application with conditions under certain circumstances.

The council will meet for its first meeting of 2009 at 6 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 5, at the Darlington County Courthouse Annex , 1625 Harry Byrd Highway, Darlington.