FLORENCE, SC (WBTW) – LaShonda Nesmith-Jackson has filed a protest with the South Carolina Democratic Party in regards to Tuesday’s election.
Nesmith-Jackson said voters who were not supposed to vote in the District Two race voted in it anyways, but voters who were supposed to vote in it were given County ballots.
“The number of voters that came out of District Two was a red flag,” she told News13. “Half the voters that voted in District Two, there’s only like 459 people that live in District Two that vote at the Boys and Girls club, and District Two is normally a low turnout.”
Nesmith-Jackson said she received poll documents from the election commission office that prove more than 100 voters voted in the wrong race.
“It totally threw off the numbers, totally,” she said. “It’s just the fact that there were so many ballots, and so much confusion going on, and so many significant people that didn’t receive the right ballot that it just really impacted the race.”
Nesmith-Jackson said the issue happened at precinct nine which is the Boys and Girls Club. She said that precinct is split between District One and District Two.
“Everybody that signed in at the Boys and Girls club received a district 2 ballot,” she said.
Nesmith-Jackson said it is up to the Florence Election Commission to ensure mistakes do not happen.
“Nobody voted in the county there, nobody voted in district one that lived there,” she said .”It was just like a very big red flag.”
Executive Director of Florence County Voter Registration, David Alford, said it’s required by-law that the commission certify the election for primary races the Thursday after the primary election is held.
“All the votes and ballots were accounted for properly,” Alford told News13. “And the election was certified and the totals were certified yesterday morning.”
Alford said Gibson-Hye Moore had 711 voted, and Nesmith-Jackson had 572 votes.
“It saddens me because it means these voters were disenfranchised, and they received the wrong ballots,” Nesmith-Jackson said. “
“I just want a fair race,” she said .”That’s all I ever want, and I’m sure that’s all my opponent wants; is a fair election.
Nesmith-Jackson said her protest will be heard Thurs. June 21 in Columbia.
News13 reached out to Pat Gibson-Hye Moore, but she did not wish to comment.