SC Primary Besieged by Lawsuits, Controversy
More than 50 additional candidates have been decertified in the past week.
In less than 24 hours, millions of SC voters can head to the polls.
But they won't be able to vote for just anyone on the ballot.
Following SC Supreme Court rulings in May (on a Lexington County case) and last Tuesday (on a Florence County case), nearly 250 candidates have been ruled ineligible for election by county party leaders.
According to SC Election Commission spokesperson Chris Whitmire, 131 are Republicans and 117 are Democrats.
While most of those names will not be on Tuesday ballots, the 54 additional names (48 Republicans and six Democrats) removed in the past week will be and election officials will be reminding voters who they can and cannot elect.
The situation has raised anger in many state officials, including SCGOP chairman Chad Connelley and Republican Gov. Nikki Haley — but neither are able to change anything.
And the candidates have been left to decide their best recourse.
In one Upstate Senate race, Wyatt Miller has decided to endorse one of his opponents in the Republican primary for Senate 5.
Many candidates, including Upstate candidate Rex Rice in Senate 2, have decided to instead seek office by running petition campaigns that require signatures to make the November ballots.
And others are working on legal action, including House 39 candidate Jim Wiszowaty.
Harry de Jong
12:01 pm on Monday, June 11, 2012
South Carolina is the butt of jokes across the USA. After so many years of being under the scrutiny Voting Rights Act legislation and the US Justice Department does anyone consider that the problem is the party Good Olde Boys System of Legislation. This is not an accident but a deliberate and carefully orchestrated process to maintain the status quo. Does anything else have to be stated except the thought thank God for Missississippi. Almost last in literacy, high school graduation, etc., etc. Proud to be an American but not from the Palmetto State..... Throw them all out and safe our state's reputation.
Shawn Meek
12:26 pm on Monday, June 11, 2012
save*
stanley seigler
2:22 pm on Monday, June 11, 2012
@Harry de Jong: "...This is not an accident but a deliberate and carefully orchestrated process to maintain the status quo..."
not unique to SC...same for T-GOP policies in all states...just happens that ratio of T-GOPs to moderates is higher in SC than most other states...
definition: "Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes retaining traditional institutions and supports...some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism and seek a return to "the way things were..."
T-GOPs want to return to those "thrilling days of yesteryear"...1929 maybe...well at least 2008.
"Throw them all out and save our country"
Gretchen
2:59 pm on Monday, June 11, 2012
Voting in SC is a JOKE. PERIOD ! How many times did JAMES ISLAND have to vote before they got the wording RIGHT on the ballot? Why wasn't someone there to advise them on the wording BEFORE the ballots were printed? Why do we have elections every few months around here ? Why do we have a primary election for President in January and for the rest of the jokels in June? It's plain crazy. How much are all these elections costing us? Wouldn't it be better to have a few CONSOLIDATED ELECTIONS and be done with it? No one seems to care about this... or about how long you stand in line waiting to vote either. BACKWARD ! That's what this State is.....