Don't Forget to Vote: Special Election Tuesday

Three names will appear on tomorrow's ballot for the special election to fill the S.C. Senate District 41 seat that was vacated by long-time Sen. Glen McConnell earlier this year.

McConnell was elevated to Leiutenant Governor when . That left the Senate 41 seat unoccupied until the winner of November's general election is sworn in next January, necessitating a special election for someone to finish serving out the current term.

Republican Walter Hundley won his party's nomination for the special election. He is facing off against Democrat Paul Tinkler and Green Party candidate Sue Edward.

Hundley's legitimacy as a candidate has been called into question by a lawsuit filed by George Tempel, the former Chair of the Charleston County Democratic Party and husband to Carol Tempel who is running as a petition candidate for a S.C. House seat following several S.C. Supreme Court decisions that kicked more than 200 candidates off ballots across the state. Tempel also filed suit against Republican Paul Thurmond who is running for the seat in the November General Election. Thurmond has also filed a counter-suit against Tinkler for the November election.

Despite an initial hearing on the cases against Thurmond and Hundley, no court decision has been made on either candidate, nor has a hearing on Thurmond's counter-suit against Tinkler been scheduled. Charleston County election officials say without any direction from the courts on the candidates the Special election will move forward on Tuesday (July 17) with Hundley, Tinkler and Edward on the ballot. Should a later court decision determine any of the candidates inelligible, election officials said they did not know how it would affect the outcome of the election.

So while it remains unclear what the ultimate outcome of tomorrow's election will be in the longrun, voters can cast their ballots tomorrow while polls are open, 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. The election Tuesday is for the S.C. Senate 41 seat under the current alignment, which only includes portions of Charleston County, and covers most, but not all of West Ashley. In November the Srenate 41 District will be based on the new alignment which includes six Dorchester County precints.

The following West Ashley polling precincts will be open Tuesday.