Posted on 06/29/2004 8:51:21 PM PDT by SC Swamp Fox
More protests filed in Marion elections
The race for the state Senate District 30 seat became even more embroiled in controversy Monday.
The state Supreme Court was asked to order a runoff election between incumbent Sen. Maggie Glover and challenger Kent Williams.
The request from Williams came on the heels of a decision by the S.C. Democratic Party's Executive Committee to throw out the results of the June 8 election and order a new one.
The date of a new election would be set by Gov. Mark Sanford, but Sanford said he won't touch the issue until the Supreme Court deals with Williams' petition.
"The governor's staff is obviously going to continue following the situation, but a new date is certainly not going to be set in advance of the Supreme Court making a determination on the matter," Sanford's spokesman Will Folks said.
Williams filed his petition with the Supreme Court asking it to overturn the party's decision on the basis that Norwood filed his protest two days past the deadline to do so.
The petition also asks the court to order the Democratic Party primary runoff election to proceed.
"Mr. Norwood did not file any protest to the primary elections until after the statutory deadline had passed," the petition read.
Norwood said that because the mandatory recount was not conducted until June 14, he had until noon the following Monday to file his protest.
"The way the state law reads is that a candidate has until 12 noon on the Monday following the last canvassing," Norwood said. "So when the state board met on Saturday and called for a mandatory recount, it wasn't done until Monday afternoon, and we had until noon the next Monday to file a protest."
After the June 8 election results were counted, Glover had 35 percent of the vote, and Norwood and Williams each had about 32.5 percent each. Only seven votes separated the two, with Norwood ahead.
But a mandatory recount conducted June 14 showed Williams ahead by six votes and headed to a runoff with Glover on June 22.
Williams filed a protest of the original election results with the state Democratic Party, alleging irregularities in the way absentee ballots were counted. The protest was scheduled to be heard June 17, but Williams withdrew his protest at the last minute.
Meanwhile, the party's executive committee heard a protest filed by Norwood, which Williams alleges was filed past the deadline.
The state Supreme Court has not set a date to hear Williams' petition, but Williams said he's sure a runoff election will be conducted between Glover and him.
"I am confident that our appeal will prevail and will prove once and for all that we were right," Williams said. "I am also confident that Kent Williams will defeat Maggie Glover in a runoff."
Norwood said Williams' petition to the Supreme Court is simply holding up the election process.
"We're confident that we'll prevail. The state Democratic Party voted with us by a vote of 21 to 1," Norwood said. "It was 18-3 to overturn the election."
The Democratic Party's executive committee also voted to forward all information collected during Norwood's hearing to the State Law Enforcement Division for investigation into possible criminal wrongdoing.
However, the investigation has not begun because transcripts of the hearing are not finished.
the investigation has not begun because transcripts of the hearing are not finished.
It's only been a week, it took them that long to re-recount the votes until they came out right. I am sure it will take them at least two more weeks to get the transcript of their meeting "just right".
Glover has her people writing in letters claiming Williams is a Repub. in Dems clothing. Because of Armstrong and the fact he comes from a hardworking family..
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