The Clarendon County Voter Registration and Elections Board elected new leadership, approved corrections to previous meeting minutes, and finalized several administrative changes during its regularly scheduled meeting Monday evening.
The meeting opened at 5:30 p.m. with Acting Chair Maggie Robertson presiding. Board member Betsy Watson was absent, and Rebecca Battle-Bryant and Mattie Johnson arrived after roll call.
Before moving forward with the agenda, board member Brian Magaw presented amended minutes for the March 24 meeting. Magaw explained that the original minutes did not accurately reflect the sequence of events, failed to document votes on motions properly, and included statements that were never made during the meeting. He noted corrections to spelling, order of business, and clarified that the board had not agreed on an interim director appointment during open session, as previously recorded. After discussion, Robertson made a motion to adopt the amended minutes. Johnson and Kathryn Turbeville voted against the motion, but it carried by majority vote.
Interim Executive Director Alfreda Langhorne delivered the Director’s Report, focusing on Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance surveys for polling locations. Langhorne reported that 24 out of 25 polling locations had been surveyed, with the final site scheduled for review next week. She also announced that two new board members have completed mandatory state training, with two others scheduled in the coming weeks. All board members, Langhorne said, have filed their required Statement of Economic Interests disclosures with the South Carolina Ethics Commission.
There was no old business or public comment listed on the agenda.
Under new business, the board held elections for officer positions. Edward Gamble III was nominated and elected chairperson with no opposition. Magaw was elected vice chairperson following a nomination by Andrea Killman and Michael Streath. Killman was subsequently elected secretary.
Following the elections, Gamble moved to amend the agenda to request authorization to contact the Clarendon County Administrator about allowing the board to access the county’s legal and information technology departments for support. The motion was approved.
Board members also voted to change the board’s regular meeting time to 6 p.m. on the last Monday of each month, beginning in May.
During the meeting, board member Battle-Bryant announced her resignation, effective May 16, after being appointed to a new position by Governor Henry McMaster. Her resignation leaves another vacancy for the Clarendon County Legislative Delegation to fill.
After returning from executive session, the board voted to officially name Langhorne as Interim Executive Director and approved a stipend increase for her service during the ongoing search for a permanent director. The board also extended the deadline for receiving applications for the Executive Director position and agreed that applications would be provided to board members through Human Resources.
In attendance at Monday’s meeting were Clarendon County Democratic Party Chair Patricia Pringle and Rep. Fawn Pedalino. During public comment, a resident asked that the board adopt Robert’s Rules of Order for future meetings and ensure that a time for public comment is included on future agendas.
The meeting adjourned following a motion by Gamble.
The next regular meeting of the Clarendon County Voter Registration and Elections Board is scheduled for Monday, May 26, at 6 p.m.
