COLUMBIA, S.C. — It may be the day after New Year's, but some voters in Richland County will be going to the polls to cast ballots in a state senate special election.
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for the State Senate 19 contest. The district represents an area that includes north Columbia and northwest Richland County, which includes roughly 70,000 registered voters. (If you've forgotten if that's your district, you can check your voter registration on the SC Election Commission's website.)
If you do plan to vote, know that polling locations may be different from where you normally cast your ballot. For a list of polling locations, go to the Richland County Election Commission's website.
The seat became vacant after the death of 69-year-old Sen. John Scott on August 13. Scott had served the area for 18 years, first in the South Carolina House of Representatives, then in the State Senate beginning in 2009.
Senate District 19 Candidates
Here are the four candidates in the race:
- Dr. Michael Addison, (Independent) semi-retired physician, who says he would like to get money for businesses in the district to expand through grants and small-interest rate loans.
- Tameika Isaac Devine (Democratic) former City of Columbia councilwoman who served almost 20 years in one of the city's two at-large districts, which means it represents the entire city, rather than a portion of town
- Chris Nelums, (United Citizens Party) pastor, entrepreneur who says he believes real change will come from the community standing up for itself. Nelums ran for Commissioner of Agriculture in 2022.
- Kizzie Smalls, (Republican) real estate agent, who says she's pro-business and community empowerment, for school choice, enhancing public safety, and government transparency.
What you'll need to bring to the polls
When voting in person, you will be asked to show one of the following Photo IDs at your polling place:
- SC Driver's License
- SC Department of Motor Vehicles ID Card
- SC Voter Registration Card with Photo
- Federal Military ID
- US Passport