LAURINBURG — Getting a third seat filled on the Wagram Town Board won’t be as easy as originally thought.
Going into the Nov. 5 municipal election, the town had three seats coming vacant. During the One-Stop Early Voting period and election day, three candidates garnered enough votes to win the seats — Kendrick Thomas led the way with 37 votes, Cullen Edwards followed with 26 votes and Bernice Gorham filled out the slate with 12 votes.
The problem arose a few weeks earlier, however, when Gorham unexpectedly passed away.
That basically nullified the 12 votes she received and left her seat on the board up for grabs. But there were no other candidates on the ballot to fall back on.
“Despite the fact that she (Gorham) was deceased, she technically won the seat,” said Chassidy Brewer, assistant director for the Scotland County Board of Education.
There were, however, four write-in candidates who each received one vote.
Initially, Executive Director Dell Parker said those four individuals would be contacted to inquire whether they would be interested in serving. Depending on how many, if any, said they were interested, a tie-breaker — which could be a coin toss, drawing of straws or pulling a name from a hat — would ensue at the Board of Elections.
That all changed this week when a closer look at the state’s General Statutes was taken.
“Since only one vote went to each write-in candidate, they didn’t receive enough to win the seat,” Brewer explained. She added that a write-in candidate would have had to get at least 13 votes to win the seat — if they were interested.
Now, another path to filling that remaining seat will be followed.
“… the Board of Elections will actually have to declare the seat vacant (during Friday’s canvas of votes),” Parker told WLNC radio. “And then, what will happen, based on General Statute 168-63, the town of Wagram will be able to appoint someone to that seat until the next municipal election.”
The Board of Elections was scheduled to meet Friday at 11 a.m. to canvas the votes.
W. Curt Vincent can be reached at 910-506-3023 or cvincent@laurinburgexch.wpenginepowered.com.
