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Armstrong's brother has got to be better than Glover, anyone would be...
By ANDY COLE
Morning News
FLORENCE -- State Senate District 30 candidate Tim Norwood will file a protest of the June 8 Democratic primary today.
Norwood narrowly lost a runoff spot against Sen. Maggie Glover in the race after a mandatory recount put Kent Williams in the second place spot Monday. Norwood originally was declared the second-place finisher in the race, and the June 10 certification verified that.
But because there was less than 1 percent of the vote count separating Norwood and Williams, a mandatory recount of the election was ordered by the state Election Commission. That recount put Williams ahead.
In his official protest being filed today, Norwood will ask for the June 8 election to be declared invalid and another election to be held. He cites irregularities in the absentee votes, ineligible voters and improper instruction at the polls as reasons for declaring the election invalid.
"There were dozens of voters' signatures missing on the voters lists," Norwood said. "There were irregularities in a number of the absentee ballots and the signatures. We know of 23 absentee ballots that we're questioning."
Norwood said many of his complaints mirror a protest filed by Williams on Monday before the recount. One of those complaints centers around the way voters were instructed at the polls.
Both Williams and Norwood allege that voters were asked what party they belong to, and those who responded Republican were told they had to vote in the Republican primary. That excluded them from voting in the Senate District 30 race because all candidates were Democrats.
Norwood said the improper instruction was the result of poor training of poll workers.
"I think probably they were doing the best they could, but there was a training issue that was causing the problem," he said.
Norwood also said his campaign has identified several felons who voted. Anyone convicted of a felony is ineligible to vote under state law.
"Including absentee balloting, we've been able to identify nine felons who should not be eligible to vote, voting," Norwood said.
Norwood's protest, like that of Williams, will be heard by the state's Democratic Party executive committee. William's protest is being heard Thursday afternoon and Norwood said he hopes the committee will hear his at the same time.
"I think we've gone past getting a fair and accurate count of the election, and I don't think we can get that unless we have another election," Norwood said.