Candidate for South Congaree Town Council Files Appeal Over Election Irregularities

Lexington, SC, 04/04/2024

The political landscape in South Congaree was thrown into uncertainty when Bobby Porter, a candidate for the Town Council, lodged an appeal against the recent Municipal Election results.

A former member of the council, Porter made the decision to file an appeal subsequent to claims that his name was missing from the ballot on several voting machines. Furthermore, it was alleged that numerous citizens were denied the opportunity to cast their votes due to restrictions on their residential eligibility.

In questioning the validity of the votes, Porter drew attention to the significant disparity in the results produced by different polling machines. He noted that while the majority of machines reflected a thin margin between the candidates, one machine indicated a much larger gap.

From Dinner to Confirming Discrepancies

The healthy post-election conversation started over dinner when Porter was approached by residents who unveiled the contentious circumstances surrounding this year’s voting process.

They expressed concern that although they had a history of voting in the town’s elections, with South Congaree listed on their voter registration card, they were turned away from the polls. It is claimed that they were informed that they were not considered eligible because not enough of their homes were located within the town boundaries.

 

Upon hearing these disconcerting accounts, Porter embarked on an investigation, inspecting the records and machines from the election. He pointed out that one machine, in particular, reflected a significantly wider margin of votes in comparison to others.

Porter stated, “The probability of such a large number of people who didn’t want me to serve all using that one machine just seems very improbable.”

A Fight for Fair Elections

In addition to suspicions surrounding the voting machines, Porter filed the appeal to safeguard the value of each citizen’s vote. By highlighting the alleged improprieties, he hopes to encourage a broader inquiry into electoral fairness and procedures.

Porter noted, “I’m not doing this for myself, I am doing it for the citizens of South Congaree. If their vote wasn’t counted, or if it was counted incorrectly, it may make a difference in the election…In most of our elections, the difference between one candidate’s count and another’s is 10 or less votes.”

The appeal is now in the hands of the Lexington County Election and Voter Registration Commission, which is responsible for supervising local elections and establishing fair voting practices. The agency will conduct a hearing to deliberate on the veracity of the claims and determine an appropriate course of action.

Given the serious implications of possible election improprieties, further information and supporting evidence will be necessary to justify any potential re-running of the election.

Porter has urged anyone who was unable to vote or who found his name missing from the ballot to come forward. He has provided his contact number at 1-336-442-3339 for any residents willing to share their experiences to validate his claims.