Runoff Voters Don't Have To Fight Bad Weather

While the two candidate for the Republican Sheriff’s race are out stumping for last-minute votes today, they should take comfort in the fact that there’s no bad weather keeping voters at home. 

“We’re not fighting the weather, “ said Suzan Potter, a poll clerk at the polling place at RC Edwards Middle School. 

Voters will decide if Sheriff C. David Stone  or challenger Rick Clark will appear on the ballot as the Republican candidate for Sheriff in November. The winner of today's runoff will face Independent candidate Keith Culbreath in November. 

According to Pickens County elections officials, residents of the county that were registered to vote by May 12, 2012 or otherwise eligible may vote in this runoff election, with the following stipulations:

If the registered voter did not vote in any primary election on June 12, 2012, he/she CAN vote in the Republican Runoff Election for Sheriff.

If the registered voter voted in the Republican Primary on June 12, 2012, he/she CAN vote in the Republican Runoff Election for Sheriff

If the registered voter voted in the Democratic Primary on June 12, 2012, he/she CANNOT vote in the Republican Runoff Election for Sheriff.

Potter said turnout has been better than she had expected so far this morning.

She said she didn’t expect today’s turnout to be better than the turnout for the June 12 primary.

“We’re not expecting as many people this time as last time,” Potter said.

There are 764 registered voters in the Pike Precinct, which votes at the middle school.

Elections officials said the turnout for the June 12 primary was only 15 percent of the county’s more than 60,000 registered voters.

Potter said since she works at the middle school, she was able to have the voting machines dropped off last night.

“Because I work here, I’m able to get things set up the day before,” she said.

The rules and regulations regarding voting and campaign materials are set up at the polling place.

Poll workers arrived at 6:15 a.m. this morning and open the machines.

“We run tapes to make sure there’s no ballots cast on the machines already,” Potter said.  “We call it a zero tape.  It ensures the machines haven’t been tampered with. 

“And at seven o’clock we declare it open for business,” Potter said.

There are usually some voters waiting on the polling place to open, but not this morning.

“It was about 7:15am before anybody got here today,” she said.