Charleston County, South Carolina – Following the municipal election on November 4, early voting for three run-off elections in Charleston County began Wednesday.
People will go to the polls to elect the future mayors of Folly Beach, Isle of Palms, and the Town of Lincolnville, as none of the candidates received more than 50% of the vote on election night.
On Nov. 4, the five-candidate field for Folly Beach mayor was trimmed to two: real estate agent Elton Culpepper and Councilman Chris Bizzell. The two will compete in a runoff election to become the island’s first new mayor in over a decade, succeeding Tim Goodwin, who did not seek reelection after more than 15 years in office.
On the Isle of Palms, incumbent Philip Pounds won by only 52 votes over challenger Scott Pierce, a city councilman.
In Lincolnville, incumbent Mayor Enoch Dickerson III and Councilman Tyrone Aiken will face battle in a runoff election.
The Charleston County Board of Voter Registration and Elections (BVRE) said that a candidate must receive at least 50% of the votes plus one to win outright. No candidate surpassed that threshold in any of these elections, necessitating a runoff between the two candidates with the highest votes in each.
The BVRE offices (4340 Corporate Rd, North Charleston) will be open for early voting in all three runoff elections from November 12 to November 14. Early voting hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The runoff election is scheduled for Tuesday, November 18. Any qualified voter, including those who did not vote in the previous election, will be entitled to participate.
