It’s time to vote again in York, Lancaster. These runoffs are on the ballot Tuesday.
Just two weeks after thousands of voters in York, Lancaster and Chester counties cast their ballots in the 2020 South Carolina primaries, voters in York and Lancaster counties must vote again.
South Carolinians voted on June 9 in several contested county, state and federal primary elections that determined the respective Democratic and Republican candidates for the November election. But candidates in three Republican primaries did not secure a majority of the vote and ended up in runoffs.
Two seats on the York County Council and one in South Carolina Senate seat, which represents York and Lancaster counties, are on the ballot again Tuesday.
Voters who participated in the early primary must stick with the party’s ballot the already have chosen. Voters who didn’t vote then can still vote in a runoff on either party’s ballot.
But for York and Lancaster counties, only the Republican Party will have runoff primaries.
Who is on the ballot?
South Carolina Senate District 16 - Republican Party
York County Council chairman Michael Johnson will face Republican candidate Tom Nichols for the District 16 seat, which represents parts of York and Lancaster counties. Incumbent Greg Gregory is not seeking another term.
Nichols secured the most votes in the June 9 primary. The winner will face Democrat Ram Mammadov in November.
York County Council District 1 - Republican Primary
York County Council District 1 voters can vote for either Tom Audette and Debi Cloninger Tuesday. Incumbent Johnson is not seeking another term.
Cloninger secured the most votes in the June 9 primary. The winner will face Democrat Kristin Thomas in November.
York County Council District 6 - Republican Party
York County Council District 6 voters can vote for either Brandon Guffey or incumbent Britt Blackwell, who has been on council for more than eight years. The winner will not face a Democratic challenger in November.
Blackwell secured the most votes in the June 9 primary.
How can I vote?
Voters who want to vote absentee can do so in person at the local county voter registration offices. York County’s is at 6 South Congress Street in York. Lancaster County’s is at 101 North Main Street.
Voters who received an absentee ballot in the mail and have not mailed it back, can return it to the local voter registration offices. Absentee ballots cannot be returned to local polling places, according to the State Election Commission.
The deadline to vote absentee in person is 5 p.m. on June 22, and the deadline to return a mailed ballot to the voter registration office is no later than 7 p.m. on June 23.
Voters also have the option to cast their ballot at the polls, which open at 7 a.m. Tuesday, and voters can find their assigned precincts on at SCVotes.org.
Several York County polling locations have been moved for the runoffs, according to the registration office’s website.
- Hollis Lakes precinct will move from Ebenezer Presbyterian Church to The Body at 2115 Ebenezer Road in Rock Hill.
- Fort Mill 4 and Springfield precincts will move from Unity Presbyterian Church to Bethlehem Baptist Church at 601 Joe Louis Street in Fort Mill.
- Baxter and Kanawha precincts will move from Philadelphia United Methodist Church in Fort Mill to Baxter Close YMCA at 857 Promenade Walk in Fort Mill.
Waterstone precinct will move to Grace Presbyterian Church at 2955 Highway 160 W in Fort Mill.
Stateline precinct will move to Fort Mill School District Office at 2233 Deerfield Drive in Fort Mill.
