Early voting continues ahead of June 9 primary elections
Early voting will end Friday for local and statewide primary elections as Laurens County voters are asked to cast ballots on races from county council to the State House, attorney general and the South Carolina Governor’s office.
During the early voting period all ballots are cast at the Board of Voter Registration and Elections offices on Bolt Drive in Laurens is open weekdays through this Friday, June 5 from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Voters will be asked to produce a photo ID to cast a ballot.
On election day, Tuesday, June 9, all local precincts will be open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. with one precinct change: Clinton Precinct 1 is now permanently located at the Laurens County School District 56 Conference Center at 101 Legion Drive in Clinton. Clinton Precinct 1 was formerly at Broad Street United Methodist Church.
Lynne West, Laurens County Board of Elections and Voter Registration executive director, said about 3% of the county’s active registered voters had turned in ballots as of Tuesday afternoon, a number that translates into more than 1,500 voters out of 41,198.
Eighth Circuit Solicitor David Stumbo is among three candidates seeking the Republican nomination for South Carolina Attorney General. Stumbo, who is in his fourth term as the 8th Circuit’s top prosecutor, announced his candidacy for attorney general this past September at the Laurens County Museum and is hoping to succeed Alan Wilson.
Stumbo is running against state Sen. Stephen Goldfinch Jr. of Charleston and 1st Circuit Solicitor David Pascoe. Wilson, who has served as attorney general since 2010, is in a tightly contested GOP primary race for governor.
Stumbo, a former assistant prosecutor with the attorney general’s office who lives with his wife and family in Greenwood, said when announcing his candidacy he remains focused on victims of crime and the rule of law.
“There’s no substitute for having a proven record and experience to get the job done,” Stumbo said during his announcement.
Stumbo is not the only state-level candidate with local ties in Tuesday’s primaries.
In addition to Stumbo’s run for attorney general, incumbent District 14 Rep. Luke Rankin (R-Laurens) is facing a primary challenge from Cross Hill businessman Rick Shealy.
Locally, a three-way race for Laurens County Council District 4 is also on the ballot. The candidates in the GOP primary include Jimmy Poole, Lonnie Wilson and Libby Pinson.
In the Republican primary for governor, Wilson is among six hopefuls for his party’s nomination. The group also includes Lt. Gov. Pam Evette, who picked up an endorsement from President Donald Trump over the weekend, U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, Myrtle Beach businessman Rom Reddy and state Sen. Josh Kimbrell of Spartanburg.
Polling released this past week placed Evette, Wilson and Reddy tightly bunched at the top of the field each with around 19 percent.
In the Democratic primary, state Rep. Jermaine Johnson, Walterboro attorney Mullins McLeod and Greenville businessman Billy Webster are in a three-way race for the nomination.
If no candidate in either primary gets over the necessary 50% of votes to advance, a run-off will be scheduled for later this month.
U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham is also being challenged for the GOP nomination by Greenville businessman Mark Lynch for the seat Graham has occupied for the past 23 years.
Sample ballots will be available at polling locations, and West reminded that voters in South Carolina can vote in any primary they wish, but must cast ballots for a single party only.
