The Clarendon County Voter Registration and Elections Board held its regular meeting on Aug. 26, 2024, at the county offices in Manning. The meeting, chaired by Russell Miller, opened with an invocation and a roll call confirming the presence of board members Maggie Robertson, Sharon Ridgeway, Betsy Watson, Rebecca Battle-Bryant, Gregory Holliday, and Kathryn Turbeville.
The board quickly approved the agenda for the meeting and the minutes from the July 22 meeting without amendments.
Director of Elections Christine Harvin provided an extensive report on upcoming election preparations. Harvin noted that 30 candidates had initially filed for the school board election, but three have since withdrawn: Pamela Rodine (District 4), Incumbent and current CCSD Board Chairman Arthur Moyd (District 5), and Timothy Miller (District 6). The deadline for candidate withdrawal is Sept. 5.
Harvin also announced that early voting for the upcoming general election would begin on Oct. 21 and run for two weeks. The office is actively engaging in community outreach to inform voters of any changes, with several visits planned to local organizations in September.
A significant portion of Harvin’s report focused on the transition to new voting equipment. The county’s DS200 voting machines are being replaced with DS300 machines. These new machines offer updated technology and are expected to be more efficient in the voting process. Training for staff on the DS300 machines is scheduled for Sept. 9 in Columbia. Harvin explained that when voters in Clarendon County go to the polls, they encounter three machines: an electronic poll book machine, a ballot marking device, and the DS300 scanner. A voter’s ballot is not officially counted until it has been scanned by the DS300 machine, making the process both secure and verifiable.
During the discussion of old business, there was a focus on ensuring compliance with state laws regarding the allocation of voting machines and the appointment of poll managers. South Carolina House of Representative Fawn Pedalino attended the meeting, emphasizing that the board is responsible for appointing poll managers and ensuring that there is one voting machine per 250 registered voters, as required by law. Pedalino also raised concerns about the cost of IT services, noting that the state election commission had offered to provide the necessary training for free. She urged the board to consider this option to save taxpayer money, referencing a previous $15,000 payment to a contractor in 2021-2022.
The board then moved into an executive session to discuss the IT services contract. Upon returning to open session, the board voted two to five to award the IT contract to CL&K IT Solutions, LLC, who was the lowest bidder out of the two bids. The two nay votes were cast by Rebecca Battle-Bryant and Kathryn Turbeville.
The meeting was adjourned following the vote. The next regular meeting of the Clarendon County Voter Registration and Elections Board is scheduled for Sept. 26.
