Tuesday is Election Day in one Rock Hill ward

Voters will head to the polls today to decide an election one candidate seemed to have already decided last week.

Residents in Rock Hill’s Ward 2, which largely covers the northern portion of the city between Cherry and Celanese roads, will vote Tuesday on who will represent them on Rock Hill City Council for the next four years, even though only one of the original two candidates is still running.

Incumbent Councilwoman Kathy Pender is seeking a fourth term on the council, and appears on the ballot alongside challenger Woody O’Neal, who told media outlets he was dropping out of the race one week before election day.

Because it was too late to remove O’Neal from the ballot, voters will still be offered a choice – and the now ex-candidate could still win.

Two other council members who would have appeared on the ballot Tuesday were deemed re-elected when no one filed to run against them. Sandra Oborokumo and Kevin Sutton will automatically return for another term on council without an election even being held in their wards.

Rock Hill’s mayor and three other city council seats won’t be up for election until 2017.

Polls are open in Ward 2 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.

This story was originally published October 20, 2015 at 7:17 AM with the headline "Tuesday is Election Day in one Rock Hill ward."