Harriot challenges Hartsville election results

HARTSVILLE — Jannie Harriot, who lost her bid for the District 1 seat on Hartsville City Council, is challenging the election results.

Incumbent councilwoman Adlena Graham defeated Harriot in Tuesday’s election. Graham received 138 votes for 66.3 percent of the vote to Harriot’s 70 votes, or 33.7 percent.

The Municipal Election Commission of Hartsville will meet at 2:30 p.m. Friday to consider Harriot’s challenge.

The commission met Thursday morning to certify the results of Tuesday’s voting.

In a letter submitted to the commission dated Thursday, Harriot alleges some absentee ballots in the District 1 race were completed by campaign workers and not by voters themselves and that in those instances voters were not aware for whom they were voting.

The letter cites two allegations of irregularities in Hartsville Precinct 6. It alleges one person wasn’t allowed to vote because her name had been crossed off the voter list, as if she had already voted, but there was no signature on the sign-in book for the voter and no absentee ballot for that voter.

It also alleges voters not meeting requirements for assistance were allowed to have campaign workers assist them with voting.

To have the election results invalidated, Harriot must prove that the alleged irregularities would have changed the outcome of the election, said James Ousley, chairman of the Municipal Election Commission, and Hoyt Campbell, director of elections and voter registration for Darlington County.

Eight-two absentee ballots were cast in the District 1 race: 70 for Graham and 12 for Harriot.

Friday’s hearing will take place in the courtroom at city hall and is open to the public.